New Jersey’s Approach to Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Rapid-Cycle Feedback and Early Lessons

Enacted in 2017, a new state initiative addressing the opioid epidemic, aims to substantially increase the number of New Jersey residents receiving substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and decrease the incidence of opioid use disorder (OUD) over the next several years. Monitoring the early experiences across the state is critical to understanding the impact of the law. As a result, Rutgers Center for State Health Policy is documenting early lessons learned and providing rapid-cycle feedback from the implementation of New Jersey’s path-breaking policy initiative through the following evaluation components: 1) monitoring SUD treatment facilities in each county to assess patient access to outpatient and inpatient treatment for OUD; 2) monitoring changes in Medicaid prescriptions for opioids in New Jersey; and 3) key Informant interviews of opioid prescribers in New Jersey.