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Opioid Abatement Council elects to receive cash from Teva settlement rather than product
Summary
The council voted to accept the annual cash payment option from the Teva settlement (approximately $653,000 per year) instead of receiving naloxone kits from the manufacturer; staff had warned product distribution via Direct Relief would require extra reporting and possibly another FTE to oversee.
The Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council voted April 28 to accept the cash payment from the Teva global opioid settlement rather than receive naloxone product shipments. Council staff reported the cash option is roughly $653,000 per year; the product option would have been about 31,369 kits annually (staff estimate ~$20 per kit) with a shorter shelf life.
Mary Shelton told the council that this decision had been taken previously for earlier years because the council lacked a distribution mechanism and Teva did not have a distribution plan in place. Staff said Direct Relief is Teva’s current distributor and that the state could edit Direct Relief’s network (which includes FQHCs and FQHC look‑alikes) but warned product receipt would require additional reporting and likely an extra full‑time equivalent (FTE) position to manage distribution oversight.
Several council members favored the cash option because it provides flexibility and avoids immediate operational demands. Tommy Farmer moved to take cash; Dr. Ken Moore seconded. Roll call recorded support from all members present. The motion carried.
Mary Shelton noted an alternative: the council could accept product and distribute it through community grant cycle 2 grantees that had requested naloxone. Staff said that remains an option if the council later decides to change course, but for this decision the council chose the cash payment to preserve flexibility and avoid adding an immediate administrative burden.
