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Report card: opioid abuse in Tennessee

Each day in Tennessee, at least three people die from an opioid-related overdose.

We recognize opioid misuse as a health crisis affecting our members and our neighbors across the state. And because we’re focused on the health of the people and communities we serve, we’ve been working to reduce the risks of abuse and addiction.

But there’s still more work to do to promote safety and appropriate use.

Where does Tennessee rank?

Unfortunately, Tennessee still has one of the highest rates of opioid abuse in the country.

Tennessee ranks:

  • 3rd in the nation for opioid prescribing and
  • 4th for overdose deaths

How many people die from opioids in Tennessee each year?

In 2017, there were 1,776 drug overdose deaths in Tennessee.

Of these, 1,268 were associated with opioids.

Illicit opioids are driving an increase in the death rate.

Rate of opioid overdose deaths in Tennessee

Rate of opioid overdose deaths in Tennessee

How many opioids are prescribed in Tennessee?

There are an average of 94.4 opioid prescriptions per every 100 people in Tennessee.

2017 opioid prescription rate per 100 people

2017 opioid prescription rate per 100 people in the u.s.

In some counties in Tennessee, there are 191 opioid prescriptions for every 100 people.

Which Tennessee counties prescribe the most opioids?

The counties with the most opioid prescriptions are:

  1. Clay
  2. Campbell
  3. Henry
  4. Cocke
  5. Sequatchie

The counties with the least opioid prescriptions are:

  1. Van Buren
  2. Moore
  3. Meigs
  4. Jackson
  5. Williamson

2017 opioid prescribing rates by county per 100 people

map of 2017 opioids prescribing rates by county per 100 people in tennessee

To see the full list of opioid prescriptions by county, scroll to the bottom of the page.

Is the number of opioid prescriptions in Tennessee increasing or decreasing?

Decreasing.

  • In Tennessee, prescriptions for opioids dropped 1.1 million between 2013 and 2015.
  • Doctor shopping decreased by 50% between 2011 and 2015.
  • Drug collection and disposal sites increased 145% between 2012 and 2016.
  • Collections at Count It! Lock It! Drop It! drug take-back events increased 92% between 2015 and 2018.

How BlueCross is right here for good

BlueCross efforts have helped protect our members, resulting in 19 million fewer pills in the hands of Tennesseans since 2015. Still, there is concern about those held under the sway of substance use disorder.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2019, we introduced a number of policy changes to further help reduce the risk of opioid addiction. These include:

  • Creating seven-day quantity limits at initial fill on short-acting opioids for acute pain
  • Enhancing prior authorization requirements for short-acting opioids used for an extended period of time
  • Lowering allowed morphine milligram equivalent dose (MME) to 120mg per day without authorization
  • Replacing OxyContin on our covered drug list with other tamper-resistant opioid medications
  • Adding benefits for alternative pain treatments, including acupuncture

Since 2012, the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation has donated more than $5 million to combat the opioid epidemic.

To find out more about BlueCross opioid abuse and misuse prevention efforts, visit bcbstnews.com/opioids. 

To learn more about how the opioid epidemic took hold in Tennessee, read this Q&A with Dr. Natalie Tate.


Tennessee counties by number of opioid prescriptions per 100 people:

CLAY 191.3
CAMPBELL 172
HENRY 166.8
COCKE 162.6
SEQUATCHIE 159.7
CLAIBORNE 159.2
FENTRESS 159.1
COFFEE 156.4
DYER 156.2
SCOTT 154.6
MCNAIRY 149.8
HARDIN 145.4
SULLIVAN 145
HAMBLEN 143.6
GRUNDY 141.6
DEKALB 138.7
RHEA 138.3
DECATUR 136.5
LEWIS 134.5
MCMINN 133.1
MONROE 133
WARREN 132.8
UNICOI 131.7
WAYNE 131.1
LAWRENCE 130
ROANE 128.7
GIBSON 128.1
TROUSDALE 128
HOUSTON 126.8
ANDERSON 126.2
PUTNAM 125.5
MARSHALL 121.9
DICKSON 119.5
BENTON 119
CARROLL 119
CUMBERLAND 116.1
ROBERTSON 116
HENDERSON 115.9
WHITE 115.5
WEAKLEY 114.9
MADISON 114.7
MAURY 114.7
HUMPHREYS 114.2
BRADLEY 113.7
MACON 113.7
POLK 111.9
GILES 111
HAMILTON 109.2
SMITH 109
HANCOCK 108.1
GREENE 107.9
TIPTON 102.3
FRANKLIN 101.8
PERRY 100.9
SEVIER 99.5
JEFFERSON 98.9
CARTER 98.8
OVERTON 97.3
OBION 95.3
CANNON 95.1
LINCOLN 94.9
WASHINGTON 94.5
BEDFORD 94.2
CHEATHAM 93.1
HARDEMAN 93
LAUDERDALE 91.5
LOUDON 91.5
PICKETT 90.5
JOHNSON 88
KNOX 84.7
MARION 84.3
CHESTER 82.8
SUMNER 82.8
RUTHERFORD 82.2
BLOUNT 80.2
GRAINGER 80
WILSON 79.2
HAYWOOD 79.1
MONTGOMERY 77.3
DAVIDSON 73.7
HAWKINS 73.7
UNION 73.4
BLEDSOE 72.7
SHELBY 65.5
FAYETTE 65.4
HICKMAN 64.9
MORGAN 61.8
CROCKETT 61.3
LAKE 58.1
STEWART 57.8
WILLIAMSON 50.8
JACKSON 47
MEIGS 40.3
MOORE 17.5
VAN BUREN 10.4

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