American Academy of Clinical Toxicology
Encyclopedia
Toxicology
Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
(AACT) is a non-profit multidisciplinary health association that promotes research
Biomedical research
Biomedical research , in general simply known as medical research, is the basic research, applied research, or translational research conducted to aid and support the body of knowledge in the field of medicine...
, education, prevention, and treatment of diseases caused by chemicals. Its membership consists of clinical and research toxicologists, physicians, veterinarians, nurses, pharmacists, analytical chemists, industrial hygienists, poison information center specialists, and allied professionals.
The brainchild of Eric Comstock, a physician from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
who opened a clinical toxicology laboratory shortly after the passage of the Hazardous Substances Labeling Act (1960), AACT was founded in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1968 by a group of physicians and scientists who had a common interest in poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ing. In 1974, AACT played a crucial role in establishing the American Board of Medical Toxicology (today the American College of Medical Toxicology
American College of Medical Toxicology
The American College of Medical Toxicology , founded in 1993, is the largest organization of medical toxicologists in the United States and the world....
) to allow for physicians to be board certified
Board certification
Board certification is the process by which a physician , dentist , or podiatrist in the United States demonstrates through either written, practical, and/or simulator based testing, a mastery of the basic knowledge and skills that define an area of medical specialization...
as clinical toxicologists. (Clinical Toxicology was formally recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties
American Board of Medical Specialties
The American Board of Medical Specialties is a non-profit physician-led umbrella organization for 24 of the 26 approved medical specialty boards in the United States...
in 1992.) In 1985, AACT established the American Board of Applied Toxicology, which certifies non-physicians who are experts in toxicology.
See also
Clinical ToxicologyClinical Toxicology
Clinical Toxicology is a journal of primary interest to practicing clinical toxicologists, whether based in hospitals, poison control centers, academia, government or industry...
, the Official Journal of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology (AACT).