HEALTHCARE
HEALTHCARE
Pilot Program Aims to Curb Opioid Abuse
By Jamie Grill-Goodman
New Jersey residents struggling with opioid dependency will soon have one barrier removed in their recoveries , thanks to a new pilot program funded as part of New Jersey ’ s Fiscal Year 2025 state budget .
The passed budget includes a $ 250,000 appropriation for a pilot , administered by Sonara Health , that simplifies methadone treatment by offering a web-based application that enables patients to document their medication intake remotely .
Referred to as “ New Jersey ’ s Remote Observation of Take-Home Methadone Pilot Program ,” the first patients may have access to opioid treatment at home as early as fall 2024 . The critical funding marks a significant advancement for Sonara Health and its mission .
“ At a time when fewer than 10 % can access treatment and a New Jerseyan dies every two hours and 35 minutes , it ’ s crucial to support innovative treatment options that reduce barriers to treatment ,” says Sheeba Ibidunni , VP , Sonara Health .
Below , COMMERCE Magazine caught up with Ibidunni to learn more about Sonara Health ’ s mission and the new pilot .
Jamie Grill-Goodman : How big is NJ ’ s opioid use problem and the drug epidemic ? Sheeba Ibidunni : New Jersey ranks in the top half of the nation when it comes to drug overdoses . Per the CDC , in 2022 , New Jersey experienced a fatal drug overdose rate of 31.6 per 100,000 New Jerseyans . Of the 3,064 overdose deaths , 90.7 % involved at least one opioid and individuals who are male , 45 – 54 , and identified as Black , non-Hispanic had the highest overdose death rates . Which tracks with the national data , which shows widening disparities between different population groups , with overdose death rates increasing 44 % for Black people and 39 % for American Indian and Alaska Native people .
Grill-Goodman : In total , how much money in the State ’ s FY2025 budget is going toward addressing NJ ’ s drug epidemic ? Ibidunni : While we do not have a concrete number , we know that hundreds of millions of dollars will be deployed from the FY25 budget towards the opioid epidemic . The State of NJ has shown a commitment in the past to assisting those impacted by the opioid epidemic and that commitment is shown tenfold by the Governor and Legislature funding a remote methadone pilot program under Sonara .
Grill-Goodman : What went into securing the $ 250,000 appropriation for the pilot program administered by Sonara ? Ibidunni : Within healthcare , it is not uncommon that care delivery innovation is hindered by lack of payment and reimbursement reform . In an effort to support low-barrier care models like increased access to take-home methadone , Sonara has a government affairs strategy that supports advocacy and lobbying efforts . Policymakers in New Jersey care deeply about increasing access to life-saving medication like methadone , as evidenced by the introduction of A5500 by Assemblyman Moen , a bill that would establish a “ Remote Methadone Dosing Pilot Program ” within the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services and appropriate $ 225,000 to the agency , in the 2023 legislative session . In the 2024 New Jersey legislative session , NJ Senator Nellie Pou introduced S1324 , which sought to fund a three-year remote methadone dosing pilot program . Both bills have not yet had a hearing .
Policymakers in New Jersey care deeply about increasing access to life-saving medication like methadone
However , to build momentum , Assemblyman William F . Moen Jr ., was one of the lawmakers who sponsored the line item in the FY25 state budget for the pilot program .
Grill-Goodman : How was Sonara chosen to administer the program and why is the company qualified to run it ? Ibidunni : Sonara Health was founded in 2020 on the premise that facilitating humanized , compassionate and trustworthy interactions between patients and Opioid Treatment Programs ( OTPs ) will improve retention in care , enhance recovery , and reduce disparities . We know OTPs do not feel comfortable maximizing take-home allowances for reasons such as lack of trust and patient safety and diversion concerns . A successful mechanism to address provider apprehension towards take-home methadone is remote observation of take-home methadone . This added layer of supervision to take-homes gives OTPs the confidence to prescribe take-home methadone because they can better trust patients will
Sheeba Ibidunni , VP , Sonara Health
take their medication as prescribed – promoting increased prescribing of take-home methadone .
Since 2022 , Sonara has partnered with national OTPs , regional not for profit OTPs , and research institutions to demonstrate remote observation is feasible , can improve access to treatment , and enhance treatment retention . Remote observation of take-home methadone helps eliminate barriers to treatment access while addressing the safety concerns that make many OTPs hesitant to approve patients for take-homes . Validated in a peer-reviewed NIH-funded research study published in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment , Sonara Health ’ s virtual dosing solution makes dosing easier for patients by supporting fewer clinic visits , while also addressing safety concerns commonly associated with take-home methadone .
Sonara now operates in 9 states across 40-plus locations , including AtlantiCare in New Jersey , and has onboarded 2,500-plus methadone patients with 150,000-plus take-home dose recordings . Sonara is compliant with applicable state and federal regulations ( e . g . HIPAA , 42 CFR Part 2 , DEA , 42 CFR Part 8 ), and is listed as a Class I medical device .
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Photo : Sheeba Ibidunni , VP , Sonara Health
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