Introduction: The Antidote Response Network (ARN) strengthens local preparedness and response to a chemical incident by addressing local antidote availability, placement, mobilization, and rapid delivery from pharmacies to an incident area. The ARN comprises entities with antidotes (e.g., hospital pharmacies) and pushes their real-time inventory to be securely received, stored, and accessible by an honest broker (e.g., poison information center). When a chemical mass casualty incident requiring urgent antidote response occurs, the entity urgently needing an antidote notifies the honest broker, the honest broker alerts all ARN members of the need for antidote, and members mobilize and deploy the requested antidote. The honest broker coordinates antidote pick-up and delivery to the incident area, necessitating the development of technological platforms that can accommodate these requirements. Methods: A secure web-based and smartphone platform was developed to receive and store automated real-time ARN pharmacy antidote inventory uploads that can be accessed by an honest broker and can notify ARN pharmacies of a chemical mass casualty incident requiring urgent antidote response. Results: Pharmacy-based antidote inventories were successfully interfaced with a secured server, accessible by an honest broker as well as an operationalized smartphone platform that sends alerts to ARN members verified by the honest broker. Conclusion: The ARN web-based and smartphone platform allows honest brokers rapid access to pharmacy antidote assets and locations, alerts ARN members of a chemical mass casualty incident requiring urgent antidote response as well and coordinates antidote pick up and delivery to the incident area of need.
Godfred-Cato et al. (Sun,) studied this question.