NJ hospital works to reduce opioids in the ER as crisis rages

To combat what health professionals say is a nationwide epidemic, St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson, NJ has been using opioid alternative protocols in its emergency room since January. The goal of the Alternatives to Opiates (ALTO) program is to try to treat most patients without opioids before considering using them. In the first two months, 75 percent of the 300 patients that have gone through the program did not need opioids, Rosenberg said. Patients with cancer or those with chronic pain who are already dependent on opioids aren't part of the program.