Knock Out Opioid Abuse Initiative to Feature New Online Course for Prescribers

In response to the opioid epidemic ravaging New Jersey, Horizon BCBSNJ and the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) have turned their focus toward educating prescribers on safe and responsible prescribing.

PDFNJ and Horizon BCBSNJ — through its philanthropic arm, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey — have launched a one-hour continuing medical education (CME) webinar, Do No Harm: Exploring Strategies for Safer Prescribing of Opioids, which is available to all prescribers across our state to strengthen safer prescribing of opioids through education.

The course is part of a two-year Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative to address the opioid epidemic through community outreach, prescriber education, parent education and a statewide awareness campaign. The accredited curriculum is accessible, for an administrative fee of $35, at KnockOutOpioidAbuse.DrugFreeNJ.org/NJSafeRx . The course satisfies the New Jersey one-hour continuing education requirement concerning prescription opioid drugs, and includes education on responsible prescribing practices, alternatives to opioids for managing and treating pain, and the risks and signs of opioid abuse, addiction and diversion.

The course is specifically tailored for health care professionals, including doctors of medicine, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, residents and fellows, medical students and dentists.

The curriculum includes information from a medical, legal and law enforcement perspective. The course instructors are:

• Lewis S. Nelson, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Rutgers NJMS; Chief of Service, Emergency Department, University Hospital

• Andrew E. Blustein, Partner/Director, Garfunkel Wild, P.C. Attorney at Law

• Assistant Special Agent in Charge Christopher Jakim, Drug Enforcement Administration –
  New Jersey Division

Please visit KnockOutOpioidAbuse.DrugFreeNJ.Org/PrescriberEducation for more information.