MILLBURN, NJ, July 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The next webinar in the 2026 Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series will examine the role of prescription drug monitoring in addressing the opioid crisis.
The free session, “Prescription Drug Monitoring: Its Role in the Opioid Crisis,” will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 9. It is presented by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), the Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR), and the Opioid Education Foundation of America (OEFA).
The webinar will feature Jeffrey D. Laszczyk Jr., pharmacist and administrator for the New Jersey Prescription Monitoring Program (NJPMP).
Laszczyk will discuss how prescription drug monitoring supports informed decision-making among healthcare professionals and others involved in prescribing and dispensing controlled substances. The session will offer insight into the role these programs play in New Jersey’s broader response to opioid misuse.
“Helping healthcare professionals make informed prescribing decisions is an essential part of addressing the opioid crisis,” said Angelo M. Valente, Executive Director of PDFNJ. “This webinar will explore how New Jersey is using data and education to support safer care, reduce risk and protect communities.”
The Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day Learning Series has reached over 10,000 participants annually, providing continuing education to professionals in healthcare, behavioral health, emergency services, and community leadership. Since its launch in 2020, the series has featured national and state-level experts who bring a multidisciplinary perspective to combating opioid misuse.
The initiative is part of the broader Knock Out Opioid Abuse Day campaign, held statewide on October 6, which brings together communities and prescribers to raise awareness about the risks of opioid misuse. In 2025 alone, New Jersey saw 1,316 suspected overdose deaths, underscoring the need for sustained, inclusive outreach and education.
To register for the webinar and learn more, visit: knockoutday.drugfreenj.org
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Best known for its statewide anti-drug advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $200 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception the Partnership has garnered 232 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.
Lisa Batitto Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey 973-467-2100 news@drugfreenj.org
