The Official Web Site of the State of South Carolina

Approved Uses: Prevention

The South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund must be used for Support treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and any co-occurring Substance Use Disorder (SUD) or Mental Health (MH) conditions through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Prevent Over-Prescribing and Ensure Appropriate Prescribing and Dispensing of Opioids;
  • Prevent Misuse of Opioids; and
  • Prevent Overdose Deaths and Other Harms (Harm Reduction).

Learn more about each Prevention program or strategy by expanding the following accordions.

F. Prevent Over-Prescribing and Ensure Appropriate Prescribing and Dispensing of Opioids

Support efforts to prevent over-prescribing and ensure appropriate prescribing and dispensing of opioids through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Funding medical provider education and outreach regarding best prescribing practices for opioids consistent with the Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including providers at hospitals (academic detailing).
  2. Training for health care providers regarding safe and responsible opioid prescribing, dosing, and tapering patients off opioids.
  3. Continuing Medical Education (CME) on appropriate prescribing of opioids.
  4. Providing Support for non-opioid pain treatment alternatives, including training providers to offer or refer to multi-modal, evidence-informed treatment of pain.
  5. Supporting enhancements or improvements to Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs), including, but not limited to, improvements that:
    1. Increase the number of prescribers using PDMPs,
    2. Improve point-of-care decision-making by increasing the quantity, quality, or format of data available to prescribers using PDMPs, by improving the interface that prescribers use to access PDMP data, or both, or
    3. Enable states to use PDMP data in support of surveillance or intervention strategies, including MAT referrals and follow-up for individuals identified within PDMP data as likely to experience OUD in a manner that complies with all relevant privacy and security laws and rules.
  6. Ensuring PDMPs incorporate available overdose/naloxone deployment data, including the United States Department of Transportation’s Emergency Medical Technician overdose database in a manner that complies with all relevant privacy and security laws and rules.
  7. Increasing electronic prescribing to prevent diversion or forgery.
  8. Educating dispensers on appropriate opioid dispensing.
G. Prevent Misuse of Opioids

Support efforts to discourage or prevent misuse of opioids through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Funding media campaigns to prevent opioid misuse.
  2. Corrective advertising or affirmative public education campaigns based on evidence.
  3. Public education relating to drug disposal.
  4. Drug take-back disposal or destruction programs.
  5. Funding community anti-drug coalitions that engage in drug prevention efforts.
  6. Supporting community coalitions in implementing evidence-informed prevention, such as reduced social access and physical access, stigma reduction – including staffing, educational campaigns, support for people in treatment or recovery, or training of coalitions in evidence-informed implementation, including the Strategic Prevention Framework developed by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
  7. Engaging nonprofits and faith-based communities as systems to support prevention.
  8. Funding evidence-based prevention programs in schools or evidence-informed school and community education programs and campaigns for students, families, school employees, school athletic programs, parent-teacher and student associations, and others.
  9. School-based or youth-focused programs or strategies that have demonstrated effectiveness in preventing drug misuse and seem likely to be effective in preventing the uptake and use of opioids.
  10. Create or support community-based education or intervention services for families, youth, and adolescents at risk for OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions.
  11. Support evidence-informed programs or curricula to address the mental health needs of young people who may be at risk of misusing opioids or other drugs, including emotional modulation and resilience skills.
  12. Support greater access to mental health services and supports for young people, including services and supports provided by school nurses, behavioral health workers, or other school staff, to address mental health needs in young people that (when not properly addressed) increase the risk of opioid or another drug misuse.
H. Prevent Overdose Deaths and Other Harms (Harm Reduction)

Support efforts to prevent or reduce overdose deaths or other opioid-related harms through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Increased availability and distribution of naloxone and other drugs that treat overdoses for first responders, overdose patients, individuals with OUD and their friends and family members, schools, community navigators and outreach workers, persons being released from jail or prison, or other members of the general public.
  2. Public health entities providing free naloxone to anyone in the community.
  3. Training and education regarding naloxone and other drugs that treat overdoses for first responders, overdose patients, patients taking opioids, families, schools, community support groups, and other members of the general public.
  4. Enabling school nurses and other school staff to respond to opioid overdoses, and provide them with naloxone, training, and support.
  5. Expanding, improving, or developing data tracking software and applications for overdoses/naloxone revivals.
  6. Public education relating to emergency responses to overdoses.
  7. Public education relating to immunity and Good Samaritan laws.
  8. Educating first responders regarding the existence and operation of immunity and Good Samaritan laws.
  9. Syringe service programs and other evidence-informed programs to reduce harms associated with intravenous drug use, including supplies, staffing, space, peer support services, referrals to treatment, fentanyl checking, connections to care, and the full range of harm reduction and treatment services provided by these programs.
  10. Expanding access to testing and treatment for infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C resulting from intravenous opioid use.
  11. Supporting mobile units that offer or provide referrals to harm reduction services, treatment, recovery supports, health care, or other appropriate services to persons that use opioids or persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions.
  12. Providing training in harm reduction strategies to health care providers, students, peer recovery coaches, recovery outreach specialists, or other professionals that provide care to persons who use opioids or persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions.
  13. Supporting screening for fentanyl in routine clinical toxicology testing.