Denise Holzman, RPh, CSPI
Arizona Poison & Drug Information Center
Denise Holzman says her "favorite" drug is Singulair--because children can ingest large amounts of it without suffering toxic effects.
The 20-year veteran of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center says working at the center is a unique way to be a pharmacist. She says they do more to keep people out of emergency rooms than anything else.
“Sometimes a baby eats silica gel and the caller is very upset,” she says. “When we tell them it’s not toxic, they feel much better within a few minutes.”
She says the most difficult thing about working at the poison center is probably the hours, which might keep other people from trying the job. Everyone who works at the 24-hour call center takes turns on shifts.
Holzman’s co-workers make up for the challenging hours, however.
“The people are really special, you spend so much time with them,” she says. “They really want to help people. They’ll go the extra mile.”
Holzman, who grew up in northern California, came to the poison center in June 1986. It was her first job out of school.
“I just really liked it,” she says. “There’s always something new coming out. You get to see things evolve, new things come out on the market. The trends are interesting.”
She received a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from The University of Arizona in 1986. She went on to get a bachelor of arts in Spanish in 1996 and a master’s in Spanish in 2001. After 2,000 hours of on-the-job-training at the poison center and taking an exam, she received her certification as a specialist in poison information.
In her spare time, Holzman enjoys reading, cooking, gardening and walking.