Lauren Barber

Lauren launches world-leading medical device to improve healthcare access

Australian entrepreneur, Lauren Barber, has successfully turned her nursing background into a thriving business in the healthcare industry. After obtaining a Bachelor of Nursing degree in 2009, Lauren drew inspiration from her personal experience to start NeedleCalm Pty Ltd, a company focused on changing the narrative around needle-phobia and advocating for education in needle procedures.

As the founder and Managing Director of NeedleCalm, based in Sydney, Lauren’s day-to-day activities include planning, following up on tasks, managing social media, visiting customers, and providing education and in-services. The biggest challenge of her role is facilitating a change from traditional needle procedures and creating awareness about the consequences of needle-phobia avoidance a surprisingly under-researched area in healthcare.

Lauren began her career as a nurse at the Sydney Adventist Hospital and later moved into cosmetic dermatology, leading her to start her own company. Her journey as an entrepreneur has been challenging, but she has learned skills in resilience and crisis management. She still works as a nurse for 1-2 days a week to maintain her clinical skills. Her inspiration for this career path stems from a personal experience with a needle stick injury that led her to explore the relationship between needle-phobia and a person’s health.

NeedleCalm has now launched a new, world-leading medical device in Australia to improve vaccination rates and calm the nerves of the approximately six million Australians who fear injections. The Class 1 medical device, which recently received approval from the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration, works by using a technique referred to as “closing the gate” between the needle injection site and pain receptors in the brain.

Lauren is excited about the opportunity to play a pivotal role in ensuring that Australia and other countries overcome the barriers to achieving herd immunity against infectious diseases, including COVID-19, as well as other critical healthcare avoidance.

“Our technology is a game-changer and can be used in an estimated 76 million needle procedures in Australia each year. It’s easy to dismiss needle phobias, but they affect approximately 25% of Australians, while a local study found one in five patients with a fear of needles reported avoiding healthcare.”

With the support of her family and over 10 mentors who specialize in various areas, Lauren has overcome struggles in finance and fundraising. She has learned from her mistakes and now seeks advice from multiple sources before making a decision. She has fond memories of her time at Charles Sturt University, particularly her time living on the residence at Thurgoona, where she made lasting friendships and keeps in touch with her lecturers.

Lauren is passionate about her work and enjoys seeing the positive change in patients after they complete their procedures and the new skills she gives to clinicians. NeedleCalm is now being used as a first-line treatment in two hospitals and they are working towards more education and clinical practice guidelines in this field. The company will soon be releasing two new products that will further improve the patient experience.

Her journey from a nursing student to a successful entrepreneur is a testament to her determination and passion for helping others. Lauren’s work with NeedleCalm is making a positive impact in the healthcare industry and improving the experiences of patients and clinicians alike.