California's Poison Control system has gotten a last minute financial reprieve that will allow it to operate until next June. The service operates out of San Diego and three other cities.
California's Poison Control system runs a toll-free hotline that's open 24/7. Each of the network's four call centers is staffed by pharmacists and nurses.
The state had slashed half of the system's funding this year. The federal government was able to pick up the slack.
Dr. Rick Clark is the medical director of the San Diego site. He says the system is still on shaky ground.
"I think it would be nice if we could come up with a definitive way that we could get funding for a service that saves people's lives and make it stick," Dr. Clark said.
The Poison Control network gets about 900 calls a day. Most come from parents who are worried about what substance their child just ate or drank.
