Quickbase, provider of no-code software that helps organizations see, connect and control complex projects, today announced that it has partnered with The City of Paterson, New Jersey to pilot a technology solution to support its fight against the opioid epidemic.

Earlier this year, the city was awarded a $1 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to launch a program called RealFix that helps addicts get 24/7 access to Suboxone, a medication that blocks opiates and reduces withdrawal symptoms, within just 90 minutes.

“We’ve learned that the peak time for opioid overdose is between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m., but most treatment centers in our area close at 3 p.m. for various reasons,” said Ed Boze, Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Paterson. “A solution that could deliver life-saving treatments to people with opioid addictions didn’t exist, and thanks to Quickbase, we were able to build it from scratch.”

A complex problem requiring a unique solution

Getting life-saving medication to those who need it, when they need it, no matter what time of day is complex, requiring tight coordination across different people and systems. Paterson partnered with Quickbase to build a technology solution that demonstrates how RealFix can be taken from concept to reality, and prove ROI to receive the grant.

“The City of Paterson is on the frontlines fighting the opioid epidemic in our country, developing innovative ways to provide life-saving treatments to their community," said Ed Jennings, CEO of Quickbase. “Getting treatment to those who need it, whenever they need it is essential, and the model they’ve developed will be crucial to saving lives in their community and beyond. We’re proud to have played even a small role in helping them develop their approach and win this grant.”

Some of the biggest barriers for addicts getting the help they need are time constraints. Traditional medication-assisted treatment (MAT) helps prevent withdrawals in a medical setting, but can take days to get to those who need it. Consequently, only 1 in 500 in Paterson receive appropriate MAT, leaving the other 499 to not get treatment, or rely on illicit opioid dealers. This has helped fuel the nearly 1,700 overdoses the city sees annually.

To address this, the city developed a technology pilot with Quickbase to create a computer-managed dispatch system that addresses all aspects of prescribing Suboxone, including standing up and managing a network of call centers to support telehealth consultations, facilitating consultation between patient and provider, managing insurance information and ensuring the medication is routed to the correct pharmacy. The solution helps coordinate and connect all of the moving pieces in the process, like doctors writing prescriptions, pharmacies fulfilling orders and insurance companies covering costs.

“To deliver Suboxone in 90 minutes, we had to be very intentional and map out the project in great detail, and Quickbase is the perfect tool to manage the complex process,” said Boze.

To learn more about the work being done in Paterson, listen to Quickbase’s GovTech Talks podcast, where Ed Boze shares more about the grant and how his team implemented the RealFix program.

About Quickbase

Quickbase helps customers see, connect and control complex projects that reshape our world. Whether it’s Suffolk Construction raising a skyscraper or AT&T rolling out a global 5G network, the no-code software platform allows business users to custom fit solutions to the way they work – using information from across the systems they already have. Learn how more than 6,000 customers are using Quickbase to keep their biggest projects on track at Quickbase.com.

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