A Shift Left: Revised Regulations for Opioid Prescribing in New Jersey

The opioid epidemic has caused devastation in both the state of New Jersey and the nation, highlighting the need to make opioid prescribing practices safer. Preventing unnecessary initiation of opioids and ensuring opioid therapy is discontinued when appropriate are necessary parts of combating the opioid epidemic. To give prescribers a framework to provide the safest and most effective care, in February 2021 the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners unanimously approved proposed updates to opioid-prescribing regulations in the state. The updated prescribing regulations in New Jersey ensure patients who receive an opioid prescription for chronic pain have the assurance of a treatment plan, an assessment of risks, and monitoring for benefits and harms of therapy. This approach preserves access to care for patients in need while minimizing risks of abuse, diversion, and addiction. New regulations define treatment plans and require specific documentation for health care providers (HCPs) treating patients with chronic pain, giving HCPs tools to prescribe safely. The success of the regulatory updates can be measured by decreases in new cases of opioid-use disorder (OUD) and overdose deaths throughout New Jersey. New Jersey's updated regulations can serve as a model with nationwide applicability.