On May 13th, the Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) issued an alert that provides new guidance clarifying that Schedule II medications that are being prescribed for use in the treatment of substance use disorder are not subject to the in-person visit requirements of N.J.S.A. 45:1-62(e). The alert has been posted on DCA’s New Jersey Drug Control Unit webpage.

Without such clarification, any existing clients being prescribed Schedule II controlled dangerous substances would have to be seen in-person starting May 16th in order to continue their treatment if providers were to meet the every three month in-person requirement. This win ensures individuals can continue to receive their treatment without interruption and broadly reopens access to treatment for new clients.

NJAMHAA is extremely grateful to Maiysha Ware, President of the NJ Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (NJ ATOD), for raising awareness of this issue and for her relentless efforts in our collaborative advocacy that included substantive materials for NJAMHAA to share and direct outreach to key individuals at the State. Debra L. Wentz, PhD, NJAMHAA President and CEO, stated, “NJAMHAA is proud to work with our partners at NJ ATOD under Maiysha’s leadership. The more voices we can lend to an effort, the stronger the advocacy and greater the chances for success! We are thrilled with the timely outcome that our partnership made possible.”