Bill

Bill > S518


NJ S518

NJ S518
Permits patients to indicate that they should not be prescribed opiates and certain other controlled substances in prescription monitoring program information.


summary

Introduced
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2026-2027 Regular Session

Bill Summary

This bill requires the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety to establish a process by which a patient may request that the patient's prescription monitoring information include an indication that the patient should not be prescribed opioid drugs or other controlled substances with a significant potential for abuse or addiction. The indication would not be included in the patient's prescription monitoring information except at the patient's request. The division would establish a process for removing the indication that a patient should not be prescribed opioid drugs or other controlled substances with a significant potential for abuse or addiction, at the patient's request. The division would also establish a method, for persons who indicate that they should not be prescribed opioid drugs or other controlled substances with a significant potential for abuse or addiction, to communicate this preference, in the event that the person is incapacitated or otherwise unable to communicate this preference prior to or while receiving health care services. The division would develop an education and outreach program for health care providers concerning this process. It is the sponsor's belief that permitting patients to indicate that they should not be prescribed opiates and certain other controlled substances will facilitate the recovery process, help patients maintain sobriety, help avoid the issuance of prescriptions for drugs that could jeopardize the patient's recovery, and assist health care practitioners to identify patients who are at risk of abusing or diverting prescription medications.

AI Summary

This bill requires the Division of Consumer Affairs to create a system allowing patients to request that their prescription monitoring information, which is a confidential record of controlled substance prescriptions, be flagged with an indication that they should not be prescribed opioid drugs or other substances with a high potential for abuse or addiction. This flag will only be added if the patient requests it and can also be removed at their request. The bill also mandates a method for individuals to communicate this preference if they become incapacitated and unable to do so themselves, and requires the division to educate healthcare providers about this new process, aiming to support patient recovery, maintain sobriety, prevent prescriptions that could jeopardize recovery, and help practitioners identify patients at risk of substance abuse.

Committee Categories

Health and Social Services

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 01/13/2026)

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