ADDICTION & PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
DAODAS Director Sara Goldsby, Gov. Henry McMaster Announce S.C. Center of Excellence in Addiction
New partnership between key state agencies, state’s research universities to bolster state’s response to opioid and addiction crisis
COLUMBIA – In response to the evolving addiction crisis that is impacting communities throughout South Carolina, South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) Director Sara Goldsby and Governor Henry McMaster today announced a new partnership involving the state’s three research universities that will significantly improve the state’s ability to identify and treat South Carolinians suffering from addiction.
The partnership, formalized by a Memorandum of Understanding and named the ‘S.C. Center of Excellence in Addiction’, includes DAODAS, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, and the Medical University of South Carolina.
University researchers, with technical and administrative assistance from the two state agencies, will initially work together to utilize available data in an effort to better understand how the state is performing in three key areas: identifying individuals with substance use disorders, treatment of those who have been identified, and retaining those currently in treatment. This information will be critical in designing effective interventions, improving access to treatment, and effectively targeting assistance to regions of the state that are struggling the most.
“By centralizing the efforts of our immensely talented state agencies and universities, the S.C. Center of Excellence in Addiction will help us identify and treat South Carolinians more effectively and ensure that resources are being utilized in the most efficient ways possible,” said Gov. Henry McMaster.
“Governor McMaster frequently asks us to act boldly, and to communicate, coordinate, and collaborate in our work. By doing just that, and by leveraging the expertise from our state agencies and research universities, we have the unique asset of centralized support for addiction efforts statewide,” said Sara Goldsby, Director of DAODAS. “Although the Center of Excellence has just been established, there is unlimited potential for it to advance our work on addiction for many years to come.”
Health system performance data will also serve as a crucial baseline that will allow the state to gauge the success of major public investments to address the opioid epidemic. The Center will strengthen the quality of how the state addresses addiction by securing data that will help stakeholders implement best practices.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for our state’s government and universities to join forces to address one of the most profound public health challenges of our time,” said Dr. Christina Andrews of the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health. “We are honored to be a part of this important effort to improve access to high quality addiction treatment and prevention services throughout the state.”
In addition to data gathering, the Center will engage the universities' and state agencies’ program and service implementation specialists and data scientists with expertise in implementing and rigorously evaluating evidence-based strategies and clinical care to address addiction and help improve the public health response to the drug crisis. Specific quality-focused support and clinical consultation will be available to service providers and local colleagues, as well as other entities engaging in prevention, intervention, treatment, and/or recovery efforts.
“We are excited to work closely with key stakeholders and organizations to implement proven models of addiction care, and to develop new models to transform addiction care across South Carolina,” said Dr. Alain Litwin of Clemson University and USC School of Medicine - Greenville. “Our ultimate goal, a collective mission with these important partners, is to eliminate all opioid-related fatal overdoses in South Carolina.”
Facilitated learning opportunities will also be made available by the Center through telementoring and virtual, remote education. Focused support, guided practice, and case-based learning will be made available to healthcare and other service providers.
“The addictions team at MUSC is excited about this opportunity to improve prevention and treatment of substance use disorders throughout the state,” said Dr. Kathleen Brady of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “Through these efforts, South Carolina will become a model for other states in how to drive discovery and implementation of state-of-the-art prevention and treatment initiatives.”
The Center will host a website dedicated to providing the public with information about its activities, along with educational resources.
“The opioid addiction problem in South Carolina is unfortunately bigger than any one agency or institution’s scope, and addressing it responsibly and robustly demands the kind of multi-partner collaboration and commitment that this new Center represents,” said Dr. Ed Simmer, Director of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
For more information on the S.C. Center of Excellence in Addiction, contact Jimmy Mount with DAODAS at jmount@daodas.sc.gov.
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Holiday Season Important Time for Safe Prescription Storage
December historically marked by increased overdoses in South Carolina
The holiday season is when the number of drug overdoses typically increases in South Carolina and nationally.
That is why the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) is encouraging South Carolinians to plan for holiday gatherings by safely storing prescription opioids ahead of holiday gatherings and taking proper precautions when it comes to potential overdoses.
“Safe storage of prescription opioids is vital to keeping everyone safe this holiday season,” said Sara Goldsby, Director of DAODAS. “This time of year can cause South Carolinians to feel more stressed or isolated, which has led to December historically having a peak in non-fatal opioid overdose activity. Keeping pills stored safely can help to prevent overdoses and keep your loved ones safe.”
Proper safe storage includes:
No loose pillsPrescription opioids should only be kept in the bottle provided by the pharmacy.Securing after useImmediately return the pills to the bottle or a safe storage cabinet after taking the prescribed dose of the medication.Tracking quantitiesKnowing how many prescribed opioids you have taken – and how many remain in the bottle – will help you know if any have been taken by someone else.Storing safelyKeep prescription medicines secured in a safe place out of reach of others.“We are also seeing a trend nationally and in South Carolina that other drugs can be laced with fentanyl – without the user’s knowledge – which can cause a fatal overdose even in a small quantity,” added Goldsby. “If there is a possibility of coming into contact with an unsafe drug, it’s important to have naloxone on hand in case of an overdose.”
Naloxone, when administered in time, can reverse the effects of overdose from prescription opioids (oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, fentanyl, and others) and heroin. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration and presents no harm when administered to someone not experiencing an opioid overdose. It also has no psychoactive effects.
Naloxone is available through pharmacies without a prescription. Medicaid and many insurance plans also cover the cost. A number of community-level organizations make naloxone freely available, and a list of these Community Distributors is available at justplainkillers.com. To check the availability of Overdose Safety Kits at a DHEC health department, find contact information for calling ahead at scdhec.gov.
If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid misuse, there are resources to help.
For information on overdose prevention, finding a recovery provider, pain management and overdose data, visit www.justplainkillers.com.Additional information about DHEC opioid prevention programs for families and community organizations is available at www.scdhec.gov/opioid-epidemic.You can also find recovery resources and information about recovery at www.embracerecoverysc.com.Healthcare providers can help identify and intervene with patients at risk for psychosocial or healthcare problems related to substance use using the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model.SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service for people facing mental and/or substance use disorders. Call 1-800-662-HELP or visit the online treatment services locator at https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/.Naloxone, an opioid overdose antidote, is available without a prescription. For patients with insurance or payment concerns, many Community Distributors offer free doses. For more information, visit naloxonesavessc.org.
About DAODAS
The Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) is the South Carolina government agency charged with ensuring quality services to prevent or reduce the negative consequences of substance use and addictions through a statewide system of local substance abuse agencies that provide prevention, treatment, and recovery services. For more information, visit www.daodas.sc.gov.
