New state report tracks prescribed medication use

A new South Carolina DHEC report tracks prescription drug use across the state and can serve as a guide for health officials to prevent prescription medication misuse, substance use disorders and opioid overdoses.  The key data include the number of stimulant prescriptions filled continues to increase year after year.  The stimulant has had a 29% increase in dispensations that were prescribed by a South Carolina provider from 2018 to 2022, with those 35 to 44 years old being among the highest dispensed age group.  The rate of prescriptions for such stimulants as Adderall was higher than the state rate in both Oconee and Bamberg counties in 2022, while this was not the case in 2018.  In addition, the report states, the number of amphetamine prescriptions increased more than 50% from 2018 to 2022 in Oconee, Hampton, Bamberg, Williamsburg, and Edgefield counties.