Volunteer first responders delivering naloxone to suspected opioid overdoses
REgion Skåne Preventing Overdose Through Naloxone Distribution With Emergency Runners: a Feasibility Study for a Model to Save Lives Through a Volunteer First Responder Service Providing Antidote Treatment in Opioid Overdose
This project will try a smartphone-based system that alerts trained volunteer responders carrying naloxone to help people aged 15 and older during suspected opioid overdoses.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 1000 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Region Skane Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Malmö, Skåne County) |
| Trial ID | NCT07079241 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This two-year pilot integrates a smartphone app with national emergency dispatch to alert trained volunteer responders who carry naloxone to suspected opioid overdoses. Volunteers complete an opioid overdose and naloxone course plus a first aid course, register in the app, and are reimbursed for purchasing naloxone kits. The trial will collect quantitative data on feasibility, acceptability, safety and mortality outcomes, and will follow each registered volunteer for one year. Several sub-studies, including qualitative interviews with recipients and responders, will explore experiences and implementation barriers.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: People aged 15 or older experiencing a suspected opioid overdose within the dispatch area who can be reached by volunteer responders are the intended beneficiaries.
Not a fit: People outside the dispatch coverage area, those with non-opioid emergencies or unwitnessed events where no responder can be alerted, and cases needing immediate advanced medical care may not receive benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could shorten time to naloxone administration, reduce overdose deaths and complications, and provide lifesaving care before ambulance arrival.
How similar studies have performed: Volunteer responder systems have improved survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and community naloxone distribution has reduced opioid deaths, but combining dispatcher-linked smartphone responders with naloxone delivery for overdoses is relatively novel and underexplored.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria for volunteer first responder: 1. Give informed written consent to participate in the study 2. Successfully complete an opioid overdose and naloxone course in addition to a first aid course, following current first aid guidelines from the Swedish Resuscitation Council and the European Resuscitation Council. 3. Download and register oneself as a user on the project-specific volunteer first responder app on a smartphone 4. Purchase naloxone from a pharmacy and receive reimbursement for the full cost of the purchase upon submission of the pharmacy receipt Exclusion Criteria for volunteer first responder: 1\. Displaying inappropriate behavior during the education day (or otherwise in time, as witnessed or experienced by course instructors or the project team). Such conduct could for example be to not follow the guidelines of low-arousal (non-confrontational) approach in emergencies. Inclusion Criteria for overdose alerts: 1. Victim being ≥15 years old 2. Any naloxone-responder being up to 10.000 meters from the situation, in Skåne Exclusion Criteria for overdose alerts: 1. Any trauma behind the condition 2. Dispatcher impression of the scene to be unsafe for lay persons
Where this trial is running
Malmö, Skåne County
- Malmö Addiction Center — Malmö, Skåne County, Sweden (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Anders C Håkansson, MD, prof. — Malmö Addiction Center, Region Skåne, Sweden
- Study coordinator: Julia Rehn, MD, PhD student
- Email: julia.rehn@med.lu.se
- Phone: +46709464663
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.