We can take a moment as we start the new year to acknowledge the good news regarding the downward trend of opioid overdoses in our state and throughout the nation. We recognize there is no “one magic bullet” that has brought this change about. Instead, a comprehensive approach has been established to prevent the misuse of opioids.

We now have an additional strategy to prevent future opioid use disorders. I commend the New Jersey State Legislature for passing legislation that allows patients or their authorized representative to “execute a voluntary non-opioid directive stating that an opioid may not be administered or prescribed to an individual.” I encourage Governor Murphy to sign it into law before leaving office. Once this becomes law, a standardized form will be created by the NJ Department of Health and posted on its website for patients to download and utilize. This legislation builds on the legislation PDFNJ championed and was passed in 2017 that mandated a conversation regarding addictive characteristics of opioids between the prescriber and the patient or patient representative. New Jersey was the first state to pass such legislation which has been replicated in 21 other states.

“Too many lives have been upended by opioid addiction, and giving patients a clear and accessible way to maintain sobriety is a meaningful step forward,” said Senator Vin Gopal, one of the bill’s sponsors.

As we now have alternatives to opioids that often manage pain better with fewer side effects, I encourage health providers to make their patients aware of this new directive that will contribute to fewer and fewer individuals developing an opioid use disorder.