Court House Nurse Becomes 1,000th Medical Professional to Receive PDFNJ Opioid Education

MILLBURN – The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s effort to educate on the risks of opioids and safe and responsible prescribing has now reached 1,000 professionals in the health care field and has potentially benefitted millions of New Jersey residents.
According to a release, Yvonne Olthuis, a nurse from Court House, became the 1,000th medical professional over the past two years to take the pre-recorded webinar “Do No Harm: Exploring Strategies for Safer Prescribing of Opioids” May 19. She will receive a gift card to commemorate the milestone.
“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,” PDFNJ Executive Director Angelo 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. It is encouraging to see that 1,000 New Jersey heal care professionals have now taken this course.”
In June 2019, PDFNJ and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (BCBSNJ) launched the webinar, which has provided information vital to responsible prescribing practices that keep patients safe from opioid misuse and addiction. The knowledge from the course has benefitted an estimated 2.6 million patients. The initiative is currently supported by the Opioid Education Foundation of America.
The webinar highlights the roots of the opioid crisis and the current status of the issue from medical, legal and law enforcement perspectives. The course is designed to fulfill the New Jersey one-hour continuing education requirement concerning prescription opioids. It is specifically tailored for health care 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, www.KnockOutOpioidAbuse.DrugFreeNJ.org/NJSafeRx.