TDMHSAS Chief Pharmacist Appointed to National Addiction Treatment Panel

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Tennessee’s State Opioid Treatment Authority and Chief Pharmacist for the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) is going to lend his talents to a national panel on addiction treatment for the next four years.  Wes Geminn, PharmD. has accepted an appointment to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) National Advisory Council.

Council members advise the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment on ways to improve access, reduce barriers, and promote high-quality, effective treatment and recovery services.  Geminn is one of 12 council members appointed by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra.

Dr. Geminn joined TDMHSAS in 2011 as the department’s pharmacy resident.  After graduation, he worked at Memphis Mental Health Institute and then Western Mental Health Institute before becoming the department’s Chief Pharmacist in 2015.  In his time as Chief Pharmacist, Dr. Geminn has been instrumental in providing oversight and support to medication assisted treatment providers across the state as well as instituting the pharmacy components to the Electronic Medical Record project at all four state-run Regional Mental Health Institutes.

“Dr. Geminn is a consummate professional and an amazing leader for our department.  His expertise and his knowledge are a credit to our state, and we know that his contributions to the CSAT National Advisory Council will have a meaningful impact for people across our country,” said TDMHSAS Commissioner Marie Williams, LCSW.

“I am truly humbled to be selected for this council, and I am excited for the opportunity to serve and to represent my state.  As we emerge from the pandemic, few efforts are more significant than addressing the substance use treatment needs that have developed, and I am proud to be a part of that work,” said TDMHSAS Chief Pharmacist Wes Geminn, PharmD.

Dr. Geminn’s term on the CSAT National Advisory Council begins in December 2021.