Doctors See Increase in Threats of Violence Over Opioid Prescriptions

A recent Associated Press article shared that doctors who try to wean patients off opioids or refuse to prescribe them are facing increased threats of violence. Almost half of pain specialists who were surveyed in 2019 by the American Academy of Pain Medicine cited opioid management as the reason they were being threatened.

Last week, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) held a Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series Webinar that shed light on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the trajectory of the opioid epidemic nationally after years of progress. The featured speaker, Andrew Kolodny, who is one of the nation’s top experts on the opioid epidemic, is cited in the article as being the target of threats due to his work in advocating for less opioid use.

It is of utmost importance that patients are notified about the addictive qualities of opioids before ever being prescribed. PDFNJ is urging you to help us win the battle against opioid addiction and show your support for the Opioid Patients’ Right to Know Act that will help provide patients the knowledge to make informed decisions about what treatment option is right for them. Click here to easily enter your name and address for a letter to be automatically be sent to your local member of Congress showing your support for this legislation.

I also want to commend Governor Murphy for signing Bill S2323 into law, as well as, Senators Vin Gopal, Anthony Bucco, Joseph F. Vitale and Assemblypersons John Amato, Valerie Vainieri and Anthony Verrelli for sponsoring this bill that requires doctors who prescribe opioid-based drugs to also include a prescription for an antidote that can reverse an overdose for patients with a history of addiction.  New Jersey is now the 8th state in the country to enact such a law that will hopefully save lives.

Continued wishes to stay safe and well.

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