New app for naloxone training with hopes more people can access the medication

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Want to learn how to administer Naloxone? There’s an app for that.

St. Paul’s Hospital’s Emergency Department, in partnership with two local companies, has developed a Naloxone Training App.

“When we started handing out naloxone kits in the St. Paul’s Hospital Emergency Department, we realized it was challenging to deliver consistent, high-quality training in a busy environment,” explains emergency physician Dr. Andrew Kestler. “We wanted training that could be accessed from an iPad in the hospital so it was easy for healthcare workers to deliver, even without a lot of previous experience with the kits.”

The app provides a certification of completion which can be redeemed for a Naloxone kit at a distribution site.

Kestler hopes the app makes it easier for people to get trained as it removes barriers caused by the stigma of drug addition.

“People may be reluctant to seek care, reluctant to say that they want help or even if they’re not per se reluctant, some poelple may feel that they’re not really welcome or there’s bias against them in health care facilities.”

There are Youtube videos and websites that show how to administer naloxone, but Kestler believes this is the first time it’s in an app.

He hopes that will remove a barrier for people who need training.

If you complete the process on the app you will get a certificate that you can redeem for a naloxone kit at a distribution site.

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