OPIOID PRESCRIBING AND RESOURCES 

The State has created a webpage with all the information you need on the new opioid prescribing laws, as well as links to key resources including a sample one-page pain management agreement and FAQs on the law.

Click READ MORE for description of the bill

Thank you to Dr. Jenice Forde-Baker who testified during the Senate Health Committee hearing on the ED PMP exemption bill on Monday, May 14. She did a great job explaining the need for ED exemption and answered the questions posed.  NJ-ACEP continues to fight this bill. Click READ MORE to view her testimony.

NEW JERSEY CHAPTER, AMERICAN COLLEGE OF EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OPIATE PRESCRIBING GUIDELINES

1. Emergency department providers are committed to addressing the analgesic needs of all patients presenting for care.
2. Chronic pain syndromes are best managed by physicians with an ongoing relationship with a patient in an outpatient office environment.
3. Emergency department providers should consult the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) before writing opioid prescriptions.
4. Physicians should prescribe the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible duration for pain severe enough to require opioids.
5. Emergency department providers should not replace prescriptions for controlled substances that were lost, destroyed, stolen, or finished prematurely.
6. Unless otherwise clinically indicated, Emergency Department providers should not prescribe long-acting or controlled release opioids, such as OxyContin® or fentanyl patches.
7. When opioid medications are prescribed, the Emergency Department staff should counsel the patient regarding risks of opioid therapy, proper storage, and administration.
8. Clinically appropriate administration and prescription of opioids should be provided to patients with cancer pain.
9. Hospitals, in conjunction with emergency department personnel, play a key role in ensuring responsible opioid administration and prescribing. As such hospitals should:
   • Support emergency department practices to provide the most appropriate management to patients with chronic pain.
   • Develop care plans for patients who frequently visit the emergency department for evaluation of acute exacerbations of chronic pain. Coordination should involve the emergency department, hospital, and the primary care provider treating the patient’s pain‐inducing condition. Such care plans may include patient‐specific policies or treatment plans. Screening for brief intervention and referrals to treatment programs for patients who are at risk for developing, or who actively have, substance abuse disorders may be appropriate for these patients.
   • Recognize that parenteral administration of opioids is generally not in the best interest of a patient with an exacerbation of a chronic pain.

Click here to download document.

Our first meeting regarding women leadership in emergency medicine was a great success!  

Doctors and medical students from all over the state joined our board meeting and then participated in a session where we talked about "Networking tips". We then had a general networking event followed by our annual Director Dinner -the speaker was incredible and thought provoking - Dr. Brenner spoke about "Building a New Model of Care For the Most Complex Patients."   

We have a few exciting upcoming events - Our next board meeting on March 2 at 9:30 am in Hamilton Township, NJ.  We will have a similar post-meeting session regarding "Negotiating Tips", starting around 12:30 pm.    

At this meeting, we will also select one attending AND one resident physician to receive FREE registration to ACEP's annual Leadership and Advocacy Conference being held March 12-15 in Washington, DC.    

If you plan to attend the March 2nd event, please RSVP to Lauren Myers at [email protected] to allow us to accommodate accordingly.   

Homewood Suites by Hilton, 960 US 130 Hamilton Twp, NJ 08690

Thank you to Dr. Jeffrey Brenner for speaking at the 2017 ED Directors Dinner!

And a special thanks to our sponsors:

Allergan

EmCare

Janssen Pharmaceuticals

Vitas Healthcare