FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Jan. 12, 2024

COLUMBIA, SC – National Pharmacist Day is Jan. 12, and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is recognizing the critical role pharmacists play in protecting the health and well-being of South Carolinians every day.  

In addition to checking and dispensing various types of medications for people, pharmacists offer advice on medicine dosages, side effects and the effectiveness of drug therapies. They have a direct role in patient care and promoting wellness.   

DHEC employs pharmacists who contribute to the health of South Carolinians in unique, and often unrecognized ways, from dispensing pharmaceuticals to regional health departments for those who use our services to drug control agents on the front lines of the opioid and illicit drugs crisis. 

DHEC’s Bureau of Drug Control aims to protect the health of South Carolinians through drug regulation and law enforcement. The bureau employs 18 agents who have pharmacy backgrounds and are commissioned state law enforcement officers. 

The DHEC Office of Pharmacy is responsible for the operational, professional and clinical activities associated with the distribution of pharmaceuticals through the agency's public health departments across the state. DHEC regional pharmacy staff members provide pharmaceutical care that supports the agency’s mission and meets the needs of patients. 

“Pharmacists are highly trained medication experts and often serve as an important bridge between doctors and patients,” said Caroline Sojourner, director of DHEC’s Office of Pharmacy. “At DHEC, our four regional pharmacists and their pharmacy technicians serve in a slightly different and distinct role, being responsible for packaging and dispensing pharmaceuticals to all of the agency’s regional health departments. Those medications are then provided to patients to assist in many health care areas including family planning and the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis.” 

Staff in DHEC’s Office of Pharmacy also significantly contribute to the agency’s efforts to combat the opioid overdose crisis and save lives in South Carolina. DHEC pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are engaged in the statewide supply of the opioid overdose-reversing drug naloxone (commonly known as Narcan) to DHEC health departments in all 46 counties, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, schools and substance use disorder treatment facilities.   

Agents with the Bureau of Drug Control conduct more than 2,000 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 is directed by a pharmacist and helps identify and prevent the illegal distribution or abuse of controlled substances. 

“Agents have the experience with controlled substance laws and how those laws impact the regulated community,” said Lisa Thomson, director of DHEC’s Bureau of Drug Control. “Not only are they keeping up their pharmacist credentials, but they keep up with law enforcement credentials as well. They understand the challenges of pharmacists in the field so they can be mindful of that when doing an inspection or audit.” 

Learn more about DHEC’s oversight of controlled substances at scdhec.gov/healthprofessionals. 

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