FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Oct. 20, 2023

COLUMBIA, S.C. ― National Pharmacy Week is observed Oct. 15-21 to recognize the important contributions pharmacists make to patients’ care. Pharmacists provide essential services in many healthcare settings, and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s (DHEC) Bureau of Drug Control has a key role to regulate those who manufacture, distribute, prescribe, or dispense controlled substances by issuing controlled substance registrations and overseeing the state’s prescription monitoring program. 

Agents with DHEC’s Bureau of Drug Control, which is part of the Healthcare Quality division, conduct more than 1,500 annual onsite inspections at pharmacies, hospitals and practitioners’ offices that prescribe, administer, possess or dispense controlled substances. The Bureau of Drug Control also manages the state’s prescription monitoring program, known as SCRIPTS (South Carolina Reporting & Identification Prescription Tracking System), which helps identify and prevent the illegal distribution or abuse of controlled substances.

“A controlled substance is a drug or chemical that’s regulated by the government due to its high potential for abuse,” said Lisa Thomson, director of DHEC’s Bureau of Drug Control. “Our inspections help ensure controlled substances are properly handled, administered and documented in accordance with state and federal laws to help prevent their misuse.”

DHEC’s Drug Control inspectors have two main focuses: a regulatory component and a law enforcement component. 

The regulatory aspect consists of monitoring controlled substance activity in South Carolina, which includes performing regulatory inspections and audits and answering questions from health care providers and the public about prescription medications. DHEC’s goal is to ensure people have access to the controlled substances they need for their medical conditions while performing careful monitoring to prevent the illicit use of these medications. The misuse of certain controlled substances can seriously harm a person’s health. 

The law enforcement aspect involves investigating complaints about controlled substances being illegal distributed, often referred to as “diversion.” DHEC’s Bureau of Drug Control assists federal, state and local law enforcement divisions with investigations related to controlled substance diversion and also assists state licensing agencies on diversion investigations involving licensed healthcare practitioners. 

DHEC’s Bureau of Drug Control employs approximately 18 agents who have pharmacy backgrounds and are commissioned state law enforcement officers. Learn more about DHEC’s oversight of controlled substances at scdhec.gov/healthprofessionals.

###