Louis Gdalman (1910–1995) was the director of Pharmacy and Central Services at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago. [1]
He is notable for starting the first poison control center in the United States in 1953 along with Edward Press. This effort was driven by 400+ children dying across the country every year from eating high-dose medicine that looked and tasted like candy. [2] [3] Many of these deaths would have been preventable if people had better access to information about antidotes, poison control measures and how to treat a victim.
He was the only pharmacist elected a fellow of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago.
References
- ^ Teresa Jiminez (August 31, 1995). "Louis Gdalman, Pharmacist Who Founded Poison Centers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ "AAP had hand in first poison control center". American Academy of Pediatrics News. October 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ JT Cotticelli, PG Pierpaoli (June 1992). "Louis Gdalman, pioneer in hospital pharmacy poison information services". American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. PMID 1529987.