Courtesy dorsapp.ca

By Regan Tate

Overdose prevention app now available across Alberta

Jun 8, 2022 | 3:32 PM

Medicine Hat, AB–A new app aims to prevent fatal overdoses in users who are alone at home.

The Provincial Government announced on Wednesday that all Albertans now have access to the Digital Overdose Response System (DORS). The app was first launched in Calgary in August 2021 and has since been expanded to all five health zones.

On average about 70 percent of opioid related fatalities in Alberta take place in private residences, often while an individual is alone. DORS was created in response to this. It is a confidential, anonymous, professional program that prevents death by dispatching emergency medical services if a user becomes unresponsive.

Individuals using the app will receive a call from the STARS emergency centre if they fail to respond to a timer. If an overdose is suspected, STARS will immediately dispatch an ambulance to the person’s location.

A person’s telephone number and location are the only information used by responders, and STARS will only initiate contact if a medical emergency is suspected. All information is kept strictly confidential.

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“STARS is pleased to participate in the ongoing expansion of the Digital Overdose Response System. Our STARS Emergency Link Centre is available 24/7. Regardless of the time of day or night, we’ll be on the other end of the phone if Albertans need us while using the app, ” stated Mike Lamacchia, chief operating officer, STARS Air Ambulance.

The senior provincial director and chief paramedic with Alberta Health Services says opioid use is a serious concern in Alberta. Darren Sandbeck says “the expansion of the DORS app will further allow us to save lives of those who use opioids, and those who use them alone and may not be able to call us for help.”

The Provincial government is engaging with First Nations and Métis leadership to identify opportunities for expanding access to Indigenous communities.

Since it’s launch, DORS has been downloaded over 900 times, has over 440 registered users, and numerous successful emergency medical services dispatches.

An anonymous user of the app indicated that when using alone DORS provides a larger layer of protection from overdosing and succumbing. Another user says the app has been shared with friends and that it helps them feel more safe.

DORS is completely free and can be downloaded to any smartphone from the Google Play or Apple app stores.

More information about the app can be found on dorsapp.ca