All 170 emergency physicians in Utah were surveyed by a written 49-item questionnaire to assess their utilization of available clinical toxicology resources; 125 (74%) surveys were returned. Respondents averaged 41 years of age, worked an average of 33 hours per week in the ED, and treated an average of ten toxicology cases per month. Resources "outside their own fund of knowledge" were consulted "occasionally" to "frequently" by 98%. They used the following resources "occasionally" to "frequently": poison control center {PCC), 94%; toxicology text, 77%; "expert colleague," 34%; and "in-house Poisindexยฎ, '' 25%. They commonly contacted the PCC for toxicity information (94%} and management recommendations (87%) and for acute, symptomatic overdose cases (88%). They "almost never" contacted the PCC for adverse drug reactions (79%), pill identification (66%), consultation with physician toxicologist (68%), asymptomatic exposures 165%), chronic toxicity (52%), or solely to report the case to the AAPCC data base (89%). Those who have access to Poisindex ยฎ often do not consult the PCC (70%); of those who do not have "in-house Poisindexยฎ," 40% contact the PCC as an access to it. In conclusion, the majority of emergency physicians consult the PCC only for acute, symptomatic overdoses and view access to physician toxicologist consultation as an important role for the PCC. In addition, the frequency of emergency physician-initiated consultations with the PCC may decrease as Poisindex ยฎ becomes available at more hospitals.