Moncton’s Prelam Rolls Out Bandage That Makes Injections Safer
MONCTON – Prelam Medical has launched a bandage called Inject-Safe that allows for the administration of safer and more cost-effective injections.
Luc Jalbert, the co-founder of Prelam Enterprises, said the technology was invented by a pharmacist in the U.S.
“We’ve been expanding in our medical field with Prelam and we like to bring very innovative products and safe products, and when we saw it, we knew it was a no-brainer. We were like, ‘wow, this is really cool,'” he said.
Inject-Safe is an adhesive barrier with an elastomeric membrane applied on to the patient’s skin before an injection. A nurse can then inject through the membrane, which contains bleeding and splattering, without having to use a glove.
Once the injection is administered, the nurse doesn’t need to use cotton balls or a different bandage to stop the bleeding. Patients can keep Inject-Safe on until the blood has clotted.
According to Prelam’s studies, this cuts the overall cost of injections by 50 per cent and protects healthcare providers from possible diseases through contact with blood. Some 70 per cent of patients surveyed also said injections using Inject-Safe are less painful.
“The risk is always there when you inject somebody, you might have a transfer of bloodborne pathogens. Because there’s no blood coming out through the membrane, you just let the patient go home,” Jalbert said. “So imagine in the schools, when we do injections for children, it’s really quick, there’s no wasted time and it’s a lot safer for the nurses, or whoever is doing the injection.”
Inject Safe is currently available at McKesson Canada and will be available at Sobeys’ clinics by June. Prelam has already approached other pharmacy groups like Shoppers Drugmart and Loblaws, and will present the product to hospitals and other injection administration sites. It’s also planning to bring the products abroad.
“We’re in discussions with the patent holder to hopefully start selling some in China, and we are going to a trade show in May in Amsterdam. We’re hoping to present it to other international potential clients,” Jalbert said.
Moncton-based Prelam Enterprises is known for its bathroom odour eliminators Just’s Drop and Just’a Spray, which are also being sold in China.
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