The American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT), founded in 1993, is the largest organization of medical (physician) toxicologists in the United States and the world.
The College exists to support quality medical care for persons exposed to potentially harmful chemicals (whether medications, drugs of abuse, workplace or environmental toxins, envenomings, bioterrorism agents), and to provide training and insight to the physicians who provide this care.
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Timeline of the organization:
ACMT members provide professional services in Medical Toxicology in a variety of clinical, industrial, educational, and public health settings:
The Institute of Medicine report “Forging a Poison Prevention and Control System” (2004) makes the following distinction on the first page of the Executive Summary:
“The term toxicologist is a general description of an individual dealing with any aspect of acute or chronic poisoning, and it does not have a specific definition or implication with regard to training or job description. For example, this term may be used to describe individuals whose activities range from molecular biology to epidemiology, as long as they deal in some way with the toxic effects of chemicals. The term Clinical toxicologist implies a more clinical orientation, but likewise has no specific definition or implications. Medical toxicologists are physicians with specific training and board certification in the subspecialty of medical toxicology, which focuses on the care of poisoned patients.”