H 4165

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 4165
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
Amended - Not Printed
Bill for the House
Amt. No. 1 (LC-4165.VR0002H.docx)
May 7, 2025
H. 4165
Introduced by Reps. Davis, M. M. Smith, B. L.
Cox, Hartnett, Holman and Sessions
S. Printed 5/7/25--H.
Read the first time March 6, 2025
________
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING ARTICLE
20 TO CHAPTER 53, TITLE 44 SO AS TO TITLE THE ARTICLE "NON-OPIOID TREATMENTS
FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT," TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS, TO PROVIDE FOR THE CREATION OF
AN EDUCATIONAL PAMPHLET BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH REGARDING NON-OPIOID
ALTERNATIVES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PAIN, AND TO PROVIDE GUIDELINES FOR PRACTITIONERS
OFFERING NON-OPIOID TREATMENT.
    Amend Title To Conform
Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1.  Chapter 53, Title 44 of the S.C. Code is amended by
adding:
Article 20
Non-Opioid Treatments for Pain Management
    Section
44-53-2010.  As used in this section:
    (1)
"Healthcare practitioner" means a person who is licensed, certified,
registered, or permitted to deliver healthcare services in this State and who
has the authority to prescribe controlled substances.
    (2)
"Non-opioid treatment" means a drug or biological product that is indicated to
produce analgesia without acting on the body's opioid receptors.
    Section
44-53-2020.  (A) The Department of
Public Health shall develop and publish on its website an educational pamphlet
regarding the use of non-opioid alternatives for the treatment of pain. The
pamphlet must include:
       (1)
information on available non-opioid alternatives for the treatment of pain,
including non-opioid medicinal drugs or drug products and nonpharmacological
therapies; and
       (2)
the advantages and disadvantages of the use of non-opioid alternatives.
    (B)
The Department of Public Health shall work with the South Carolina Opioid
Recovery Fund to explore and utilize, to the extent permissible by state and
federal law, opioid abatement funding for educational and healthcare services
related to non-opioid alternatives.
    Section 44-53-2030.  Prior to prescribing, ordering,
dispensing, or administering an opioid drug listed as a Schedule II controlled
substance for the treatment of pain, a healthcare practitioner shall:
    (1)
inform the patient of available non-opioid alternatives for the treatment of
pain, which may include non-opioid medicinal drugs or drug prevention products,
interventional procedures or treatments, acupuncture, chiropractic treatments,
massage therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or any other
appropriate therapy as determined by the healthcare practitioner;
    (2)
discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the use of non-opioid alternatives,
including whether the patient is at a high risk of, or has a history of,
controlled substance abuse or misuse and the patient's personal preferences;
and
    (3)
offer the patient the educational pamphlet developed by the department pursuant
to Section 44-53-2020(A) and document the non-opioid alternatives considered in
the patient's record.
    Excluded from the
requirements of this section are opioids prescribed for medical emergencies,
acute trauma, hospitalized patients, cancer, palliative or end-of-life care,
sickle cell disease, perioperative care, or prescribed per current Centers for
Disease Control Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids.
SECTION 2.  The
educational pamphlet required by Section 44-53-2020(A) shall be posted on the
Department of Public Health's website no later than September 30, 2025.
SECTION 3.  This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.
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This web page was last updated on May 07, 2025 at 05:43 PM