DPH Releases 2024 Annual Report on Prescription Trends  

COLUMBIA, S.C. ? The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) has published the 2024 report on prescription drug use in the state. The annual report provides a detailed assessment of controlled substances that are prescribed to South Carolinians, which can help health officials prevent prescription medication misuse, substance use disorders and opioid overdoses.

Each year, the South Carolina Prescription Monitoring Report is produced by DPH’s Bureau of Drug Control. Over the past several years, the prescription monitoring program (PMP) has quickly developed as an important clinical and public health surveillance tool. Through a highly secure PMP database, health care professionals can review a patient’s history of prescribed controlled substance medications to ensure patient safety and gather demographic information about prescription medication use in communities across the state.

“Prescription Monitoring Programs remain a vital tool in identifying emerging trends in the prescribing and use of controlled substances,” said Samantha Donnelly, Prescription Monitoring Program, Epidemiologist. “We are encouraged by the growing use of the PMP and the continued decline in overall controlled substance dispensing across South Carolina. At the same time, we remain vigilant in monitoring the rising use of stimulants and ketamine throughout the state.”

Since 2014, South Carolina state law has required prescription medication dispensers to upload their daily dispensations into the state’s PMP database, called SCRIPTS (South Carolina Reporting & Identification Prescription Tracking System). Medications are categorized by “schedules,” and SCRIPTS tracks controlled substances within schedules II, III & IV.

Key data from the 2024 report include:

• While the total number of controlled substance prescriptions in South Carolina has steadily decreased, stimulant prescriptions have continued to rise. Notably, dextroamphetamine/amphetamine remains the most frequently dispensed controlled substance in the state, reflecting a persistent upward trend in stimulant use.
• While family medicine remains the top prescriber of controlled substances in South Carolina, prescription volumes are steadily declining in this group. In contrast, nurse practitioners and physician assistants continue to show a steady increase in the number of controlled substances being prescribed.
• From 2020 to 2024, ketamine prescriptions increased by 120%, with the sharpest rise among adults aged 45–54 (+160%). Nurse practitioners now lead all specialties in ketamine prescribing, reflecting a significant shift in controlled substance prescribing patterns across the state.

“Although we continue to see positive prescribing trends across the state, the rapid rise in stimulant dispensations, within South Carolina and nationwide, over the last few years is something we are monitoring as a potential concern,” said Chelsea Townsend, PharmD, Prescription Monitoring Program, Director. “DPH and its partners can use this data to help intervene in potential areas of prescription drug misuse, which can, ultimately, save lives. In addition to the annual report, the PMP publishes real time quarterly updates via our PMP dashboard. We encourage stakeholders to use these trends to make informed decisions in their local areas.”  

The South Carolina Prescription Monitoring Program and SCRIPTS database were created through the 2006 South Carolina Prescription Monitoring Act. The act aligns with ongoing statewide efforts to stop drug overdoses and deaths in South Carolina.

DPH reminds all South Carolinians that help is available for anyone experiencing substance use issues:

• S.C. Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities’ (BHDD) Office of Substance Use Services: For information about treatment options and other resources, call 803-896-5555 or send a message to daodas.sc.gov/contact. The Office of Substance Use Services also provides a map and contact information for treatment providers around the state for those wishing to contact a treatment facility directly. 

• The SC Mobile Crisis response program is operated by the BHDD’s Office of Mental Health and can assist anyone experiencing a mental health crisis, 24-hours-a-day/seven days a week, every day of the year. Trained staff can assist over the phone or in-person when appropriate. Call the SC Mobile Crisis line at 833-364-2274 or email [email protected].
• The Office of Mental Health’s Online Mental Health Screener is a safe, easy and free service that allows users to anonymously take a self-check questionnaire and connect with a professional counselor who can offer guidance, support and resources to help connect them with mental health and addiction services. The screener is found at hope.connectsyou.org.
• Anyone seeking help for mental illness, a substance use disorder – or both – can reach out to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline, a free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral and information service for individuals and families (in English/Spanish), at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Additionally, DPH offers free overdose prevention safety kits at all of its public health clinics. Each OD safety kit contains naloxone nasal spray, fentanyl and xylazine test strips, easy-to-read instructions and information on how to spot an opioid overdose. Call 1-855-472-3432 and ask where you can pick up an opioid overdose prevention kit or use our health clinic locator tool.