FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2024
Contacts: Lisa Batitto, news@drugfreenj.org

Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, PDFNJ and Empower Somerset Collaborate to Bring Opioid Education to Prescribers

SOMERVILLE, NJ – The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office is increasing its commitment to fighting the statewide opioid epidemic by teaming with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) to provide free opioid prescribing education to healthcare providers within the county. This program is being held in collaboration with Empower Somerset, the Somerset Operation Helping Hand (OHH) initiative and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset.

The Prosecutor’s Office will be awarding scholarships for Somerset County prescribers to participate in PDFNJ’s continuing education webinar, “Do No Harm: Exploring Strategies for Safer Prescribing of Opioids” without cost. The webinar features medical, law enforcement and legal experts discussing the impact of the opioid epidemic on New Jersey and providing information on how to safely and responsibly prescribe opioids to patients. It also fulfills New Jersey’s requirement that prescribers receive one hour of continuing education requirement concerning prescription opioids to renew their licenses.

“Law enforcement efforts to combat drug addiction and its related abuses have changed greatly over the last few years,” said John McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor. “We now recognize that prevention and rehabilitation are far more preferable than incarceration and recidivism. The joint training efforts of our office, PDFNJ, Empower Somerset, Operation Helping Hand and RWJUH Somerset provide collaboration designed to give a patient hope to succeed where there are simply so many ways to fail.”

“Prosecutor McDonald and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office have been a tremendous partner in the effort to address the opioid epidemic in New Jersey,” PDFNJ Executive Director Angelo Valente said. “The Prosecutor’s Office has emerged as a leader in this fight. Now, by making prescriber education more accessible to providers in the county, the office is providing a vital prevention service that will positively impact county residents.”

“Empower Somerset believes in the power of education to drive meaningful change. Through this collaborative effort, we are empowering healthcare professionals with the tools to navigate opioid prescribing responsibly,” said Kristen Schiro, Executive Director of Empower Somerset. “Together, we're taking a proactive stance against opioid misuse and fostering a healthier, more informed community.”

This program is a joint effort by the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, PDFNJ, Empower Somerset, the Operation Helping Hand Initiative and RWJUH Somerset to tackle the opioid crisis through educational and collaborative approaches. Empower Somerset provides prevention education programs covering substance use, mental health, sexual health, and life skills. The Operation Helping Hand Initiative is a program where law enforcement plays an integral part in identifying people with substance use disorders and helps connect them to treatment and recovery services.

“Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset is proud to continue to partner with the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office to address drug addiction in our community,” said Patrick Delaney, Chief Administrative Officer, RWJUH Somerset, an RWJBarnabas Health facility. “This new educational initiative will supplement our ongoing efforts to educate our clinical team on opioid use disorder and safe prescribing practices.”

The webinar 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 NJSafeRx.Org, and the course features medical, law enforcement and legal experts discussing the impact of the opioid epidemic on New Jersey and providing updated information on how to prescribe opioids safely and responsibly to patients.

“Educating medical professionals on the risks and proper ways to treat pain and prescribe opioids is crucial to combatting the opioid epidemic our state and country are facing,” Valente said. “Medical professionals in New Jersey are receiving better education on prescribing practices through this webinar, and that knowledge has helped them to make the best decisions for their patients.

To date, the knowledge from this initiative has benefitted an estimated 2.6 million patients. Participants can register for the webinar using the discount code "EmpowerSomerset" to gain free access. For more information about this accredited program, visit www.njsaferx.com.

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About the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey:
Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private, not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate, and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 226 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional, and statewide media organizations.

About RWJUH Somerset:
RWJUH Somerset has previously partnered with the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office on efforts to educate and connect members of the Somerset County community with the resources they need to conquer their drug addictions and collaborated on educational programs for physicians on addiction to prescription painkillers.

RWJUH Somerset also works in collaboration with RWJBarnabas Health’s Institute for Prevention and Recovery (IFPR). The IFPR aims to reduce substance use disorder through patient-centered, system-wide initiatives, such as the alternatives to opioid program; the Pain Collaborative, which supports judicious opioid prescribing practices system-wide; and the Tackling Addiction Task Force, which establishes best practices and ensures the highest level of quality care to patients with substance use disorder. In support of these system-wide efforts, the IFPR provides relevant education and training to RWJBH clinicians and community partners. Through the IFPR, the hospital has held Virtual Grand Rounds and other educational programs for physicians on topics such as medications for opioid use disorders (MOUD) and pain management alternatives to opioids. Through these combined efforts, the hospital has seen significant reductions in the use of opioids for pain management.