NEWARK – ​ ​​​To address the ongoing opioid epidemic and to reduce the risk of addiction, the State Board of Medical Examiners proposes to amend N.J.A.C. 13:35-7.6 to ensure that practitioners have a clear understanding of a patient’s medical history, assess a patient’s predilection for addiction, develop appropriate treatment objectives, and continually evaluate whether opioid therapy is providing clinically meaningful improvement in pain and function.

In addition, the Board proposes to amend N.J.A.C. 13:35-7.6 to implement P.L. 2021, c. 54, which establishes conditions that trigger the obligation to co-prescribe an opioid antidote.  P.L. 2021, c. 54, provides that when a health care practitioner prescribes an opioid drug which is a controlled dangerous substance, the prescriber shall additionally prescribe an opioid antidote if any of the following conditions are present: (a) the patient has a history of substance use disorder; (b) the prescription for the opioid drug is for a daily dose of more than 90 morphine milligram equivalents; or (c) the patient holds a current, valid prescription for a benzodiazepine drug that is a Schedule III or Schedule IV controlled dangerous substance.

The proposed regulation and information on how to submit a comment by April 23, 2022, can be viewed here.

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