Amends TCA Title 63, Chapter 1 and Title 68.

Present law authorizes licensed health care practitioners with the authority to prescribe an opioid antagonist to prescribe an opioid antagonist to: (1) A person at risk of experiencing an opiate related overdose; or (2) A family member, friend, or other person in a position to assist a person at risk of experiencing an opiate-related overdose. This bill adds to present law by: (1) Authorizing persons who prescribed an opioid antagonist under present law to also prescribe another similarly acting and equally safe drug approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of a "drug-related overdose" instead of only for an "opiate-related overdose"; and (2) Adds authorization for the prescribing of a drug antagonist described in (1) to, and use of such an antagonist by, an organization, municipal or county entity, including, but not limited to, a center, recovery organization, hospital, school, harm reduction organization, homeless services organization, county jail, shelter, AIDS service organization, federally qualified health center, rural health clinic, health department, or treatment resource, for the purpose of providing a drug antagonist to an individual to whom the antagonist could have been prescribed under present law. This bill extends the present law immunity from civil liability for administering a drug antagonist to persons authorized to do so by this (2) so long as the person's actions do not constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct. This bill deletes provisions of present law concerning a health care prescriber establishing good faith for prescribing a drug antagonist by requiring a written communication from the person to whom the prescription is issued. This bill also deletes a provision of present law specifying how a person who was prescribed an opioid antagonist and administers it to another person can establish that the person used reasonable care in such administration. This bill expands the definition of "opioid antagonist" to include similarly acting and equally safe drugs approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of a drug-related overdose. If an organization, municipal entity, or county entity does not have access to a healthcare practitioner to issue a standing order for a prescription for an opioid antagonist, as defined under this bill, then this bill authorizes the state medical director in the department of health to issue a standing order to an entity to which a prescriber may prescribe a drug antagonist pursuant to this bill. ON FEBRUARY 28, 2022, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2572, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 removes this bill's authorization for the state medical director to issue a standing order to an entity to which a prescriber may prescribe a drug antagonist in cases where an organization, municipal entity, or county entity does not have access to a healthcare practitioner to issue a standing order for a prescription for an opioid antagonist.