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Analysis of Emergency Department (ED) Samples

Process

  • Hospital EDs send urine samples from suspected overdose patients to the SC Public Health Laboratory (PHL) for analysis.
  • The SC PHL team analyzes the urine samples for fentanyl compounds and other substances such as Xylazine, Benzodiazepines, Stimulants, etc. 
  • An aggregate report is provided back to the hospital where it is shared with community stakeholders to help them better understand trends and develop effective responses.

Achievements

  • The SC Public Health Lab (PHL) has partnered with 41 hospitals in 28 different counties.
  • The team analyzed a total of 17,286 specimens from 2019 to 2023.
  • In 2023, 44% specimens tested positive for Fentanyl and 31% of specimens that tested positive for Fentanyl contained Xylazine. 

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Real Time Hospital Data

Process

  • Hospitals send opioid overdose ED data to DPH.
  • The DPH Syndromic Surveillance (SS) team analyzes the data for drug trends and creates alerts for counties with spikes in overdose.
  • The team shares drug trend data with the Opioid Emergency Response Team (OERT).

Achievements

  • The team has partnered with 51 hospitals in 37 counties.
  • The team developed an internal webpage website that showcases hospital demographic and drug trend data.

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Mortality Data Using Coroner Records

Process

  • Coroner’s offices send records of decedents who died from an overdose to DPH
  • The DPH team inputs this information into a CDC- funded database
  • The team shares drug trend data with SC stakeholders 

Achievements

  • The team has developed important infographics using mortality data such as the Xylazine Detection Report.  
  • The team has provided funding to coroner's offices with high number of overdose decedents allowing them to hire staff to help with sending records.

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Overdose Hotspot Mapping

Process

  • The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP) is used to rapidly detect suspected overdose outbreaks in real-time 
  • The DPH team helps local-level organizations (coroners’ offices, EMS agencies, treatment centers etc.) register for ODMAP. Using ODMAP, agencies can view overdose data and be alerted to spikes in overdose. 

Achievements

  • 201 organizations across SC are registered to use ODMAP
  • The ODMAP team has recruited at least one organization from every county 
  • The ODMAP team worked with Emergency Medical Service (EMS) to facilitate automatic data transfer in which EMS overdose data is uploaded automatically into ODMAP.

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State Drug Prescription Monitoring Program

Description

  • In 2006, the South Carolina Prescription Monitoring Act was passed, which required DPH to establish and maintain a program to monitor the prescribing of all Schedule II, III, and IV controlled substances by professionals licensed to prescribe or dispense these substances in the state. In 2017, a new PDMP law  was passed that state practitioners must review a patient’s controlled substance history, as maintained in the prescription monitoring program, before the practitioner issues a prescription for a Schedule II controlled substance.
  • SCRIPTS (SC Reporting and Identification Prescription Tracking System) is intended to improve the state’s ability to identify and stop diversion of prescription drugs in an efficient and cost-effective manner. SCRIPTS reports show information for controlled substance prescriptions a patient has filled for a specific time period, as well as the prescriber who prescribed them and the dispenser who dispensed them. 

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