This August, the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) on Opioids and Overdose at Rhode Island Hospital successfully conducted a pioneering workshop that united community members, designers, researchers, and public health experts to confront the opioid crisis through innovation and design.
The workshop sought to identify critical insights and address a key challenge: the accessibility and portability of naloxone. The workshop's primary focus was on developing innovative solutions for carrying naloxone, which, despite its life-saving potential, lacks convenient packaging for transport and storage. Participants collaborated to create practical and effective designs, aimed at enhancing the portability and accessibility of naloxone.
As part of this National Institute of Health-funded initiative, the COBRE is committed to advancing research on opioids and overdose and promoting community-level solutions. The four-session, month-long event ran weekly and provided a unique platform for participants to delve into the complexities of this urgent issue alongside leading experts.
“We've seen access to naloxone grow tremendously in Rhode Island but carrying of naloxone has paradoxically fallen. There seem to be many reasons for this, but one of them is quite simply the ease of carrying the medication around,” said Traci Green, PhD, MSc deputy director of the Opioids and Overdose COBRE. “We gathered community members with naloxone experience, ages 15 to 70, with lived and living experience using drugs, from harm reduction workers to providers and students. What emerged from these workshops was at least five amazing naloxone packaging designs- and especially hope for change in the opioid crisis.”
The workshop culminated with participants presenting their product designs to community members and researchers, who are considering integrating these innovative ideas into ongoing studies. This hands-on approach allowed participants to witness the tangible impact of their contributions within the broader context of opioid research and intervention.
This successful event highlights the crucial role of creativity and community-driven solutions in addressing the opioid crisis and demonstrates the potential of innovative designs to improve public health outcomes.
For more information about the workshop and future events, and to see the co-created naloxone carrying designs, visit the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence on Opioids and Overdose at Rhode Island Hospital - https://opioidcobre.org/.