$30-Million Plan to Fight Opioid Epidemic in Tennessee

Jan 23, 2018 at 07:35 pm by Bryan Barrett


Gov. Bill Haslam is touting a $30 million plan that focuses on prevention, treatment and law enforcement to attack an opioid epidemic that kills three Tennesseans a day.

The Republican released details in a news conference Monday alongside Senate Speaker Randy McNally, House Speaker Beth Harwell, Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeffrey Bivins and others.

Treatment and recovery services would get a $25 million improvement through state and federal money.

People would be limited to initial prescriptions of a five-day supply and a daily dosage limit of the equivalent of 40 morphine milligrams, with limits similar affecting TennCare recipients.

Prevention education would increase in elementary and secondary schools.

The proposal would add opioid-focused Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents.

Democratic lawmakers said the proposal isn't enough because Medicaid needs to be expanded.

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