[1] Candidates for board certification are health professionals (pharmacists, nurses, PhD biomedical scientists) with minimum perquisite experience in poisoning and overdose management as well as satisfactory experience in other core areas such as toxicology research, public health, and outreach.
The ABAT establishes minimum competency for clinical toxicologists (professionals who manage poisoning, overdose, and chemical toxicity) via administering examinations and maintaining certification renewal of diplomates.
[2] The DABAT designation also has legal implication in allowing credentialed toxicologists to manage a poison center in the United States.
[3][4][5] Credentialed DABAT members must recertify every 5 years via an application demonstrating continued competence and activity in clinical toxicology.
Additionally candidates must have cared for a minimum number of human patients experiencing toxic exposures as well as satisfy criteria in teaching, publication of peer-reviewed scientific literature, research, and outreach to qualify to sit for the ABAT exam.