capemaycountyherald.com: Knock Out Opioid Abuse Prescriber Education Makes Impact on NJ Healthcare Professionals and Patients

1/24/2020

MILLBURN - Thousands of New Jersey residents have benefited from their medical professionals’ increased awareness of the risks posed by prescription opioids, thanks to an opioid webinar launched by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (BCBSNJ). 

 

According to a release, more than 200 healthcare professionals have completed the webinar, titled “Do No Harm: Exploring Strategies for Safer Prescribing of Opioids,” which provides information vital to promoting safer prescribing practices to keep patients safe from opioid misuse and addiction.

 

The knowledge from the course has benefited an estimated 220,000 patients, based on self-reported information from participating medical professionals.

 

“Prescriber education is crucial to combating the opioid epidemic our state and country are facing,” PDFNJ Executive Director Angelo Valente stated. “Medical professionals in New Jersey are receiving better education on prescribing practices through this webinar, and that knowledge is helping them to make the best decisions for their patients.”

 

The course, launched in May, is a collaboration between PDFNJ and Horizon BCBSNJ through its philanthropic arm, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. The webinar is a component of Knock Out Opioid Abuse, an initiative to address the opioid epidemic through community outreach, prescriber education, parent education and a statewide media campaign to increase awareness of the crisis.

 

“We commend prescribers who have stepped forward to complete the accredited curriculum made available through the ‘Do No Harm’ webinar,” stated Chris Barton, clinical design liaison for Horizon BCBSNJ Behavior Health. “With over 200 prescribers already trained, and more completing the webinar each day so they can utilize safer opioid prescribing practices, New Jersey citizens will be safer and have reduced risk for opioid use disorder.”

 

 

The webinar, which launched in May as part of the Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative, highlights the genesis of the opioid crisis and the current status of the issue from medical, legal and law enforcement perspectives. 

 

The course is designed to fulfill the New Jersey one-hour continuing education requirement concerning prescription opioids. It is specifically tailored for healthcare professionals including doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathic medicine, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, residents, fellows and medical students. 

 

The accredited curriculum is accessible through the website, https://bit.ly/38FhQjL, for an administrative fee of $35.