Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Jason Luan (Government of Alberta)

By rdnewsNOW staff

most opioid deaths occur at home

Province to test new overdose prevention mobile app

Mar 23, 2021 | 1:04 PM

CALGARY, AB – The provincial government will be testing a new mobile app to help protect people using opioids and other substances while alone in their homes.

The app is known as the Digital Overdose Response System (DORS).

Albertans using substances by themselves can use DORS, which will trigger a call from the STARS emergency centre if the individual becomes unresponsive to a timer. Emergency crews will be sent to their location in the event of a presumed overdose.

The app will also provide information about recovery-oriented supports and services available in the user’s area.

“We know that most people who fatally overdose in Alberta, do so in a private home,” said Jason Luan, Alberta’s associate minister of mental health and addictions. “Launching this app is another important step in building a full recovery-oriented continuum of care for addiction treatment in the province.”

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Testing of the system will start this summer in Calgary, and it’s expected to be expanded to other communities next year.

Last year, 1,128 people died in the province from an opioid overdose – 70 per cent of those deaths happened in private residences, according to the province.

“Often times when emergency services respond to a drug-related call at a private home, it is too late. The DORS app will change that by giving us the ability to get to people sooner,” said Andrea Robertson, president and CEO of STARS Air Ambulance.

The budget for the new DORS app testing phase is $325,000, which will also support the development of the app itself.

The province said ongoing operational costs will be informed by the test phase and finalized as the app is expanded across Alberta next year.

(With file from Justin Goulet, Lethbridge News Now)