The US government is asking for the public’s help in coming up with mobile app designs that will help opioid users connect with providers of the prescription drug naloxene, which helps treat overdoses.
In 2014, some 2 million Americans were reported to be dependent on opioids, 28,000 of whome died from overdoses, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The US Food and Drug Administration announced the opening of the 2016 Naloxene App Competition to recruit all interested “computer programmers, public health advocates, clinical researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators” from all industries and disciplines to create apps that can help in the current opioid epidemic the country is facing, Fox News reports.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf said in a release that with the sudden increase in opioid overdoses, it’s more important than ever to take advantage of the power of technology to connect opioid users — and their loved ones — with naloxene in order to save lives.
The contest hopes to tap into the innovation of tech-savvy app makers to address the growing problem that is “costing the US thousands of lives each year,” Califf said.
The contest hopes to tap into the innovation of tech-savvy app makers to address the growing problem that is “costing the US thousands of lives each year,” Califf said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that naloxene accessibility has risen three times over from 2010 to 2014, but people might not always have the drug on hand or know where to get it.
Dr. Peter Lurie, FDA associate commissioner for public health strategy and analysis, said that this contest is meant to develop a “low cost, scalable, crowd-sourced mobile application that addresses the issue of accessibility.” There are no current apps that do this service, Lurie says, but there are some apps that have been developed to educate people on how to recognize the sigs of an overdose and how to administer naloxene, as well as perform emergency procedures like CPR.
The endeavor is part of the FDA’s Opioids Action Plan and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Opioid Initiative.
