Recent editorials from South Carolina newspapers:
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April 3
The Herald-Journal on prescription drug abuse in the state:
What was once a growing problem has become a national epidemic: prescription drug abuse.
Addiction to painkillers has reached such a crisis stage that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released new physician guidelines for prescribing opioids. Even the president has weighed in, speaking last Tuesday at the National RX Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta.
South Carolina certainly hasn’t been spared. According to a 2014 CDC report, the Palmetto State ranked 11th in the nation with its prescribing rate of opioid painkillers.
Fortunately, the state is stepping up its game to address the problem.
On April 1, it began requiring most South Carolina prescribers (physicians, dentists, etc.) to consult the state’s prescription drug database before writing a Schedule II, III or IV controlled substance prescription for patients who are on Medicaid or enrolled in the state health insurance plan for employees and their dependents. Controlled substances of this nature include drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, Xanax and Valium. The mandate does not apply to physicians when treating patients who are in long-term care or hospice.
Consulting the database enables prescribers to see patients’ controlled substance prescription history before issuing such prescriptions. Failure to consult the database can result in withheld Medicaid or state health plan payments as well as being reported to the appropriate medical licensing boards.
To say this was a necessary step is a major understatement. Before April 1, when consulting the database was voluntary, only 21 percent of the state’s physicians enrolled to access it, according to a 2014 report from the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Council, established by Gov. Nikki Haley.
Clearly, the voluntary participation method failed miserably. So South Carolina is now pressing the issue, and rightfully so considering such lax participation.
The prescription database, known as the S.C. Reporting & Identification Prescription Tracking System, or SCRIPTS, went into service in 2008, with pharmacies required by state law to report the dispensing of controlled substances.
The database - and prescribers’ consistent participation - is vital to curbing addiction to painkillers as it can monitor two key problems that fuel the epidemic: overprescribing by physicians and “doctor shopping” by patients. Doctor shopping is a casual term for patients who abuse their medication and then seek out prescriptions from other physicians in order to obtain more drugs.
Threatening to hit the state’s prescribers in the pocketbook is an effective way of getting their attention. And judging from results elsewhere, mandatory compliance gets results.
A CDC report on similar database prevention efforts noted the success rates of two states in particular. In 2012, Tennessee and New York began requiring prescribers to check their respective state databases before prescribing opioids. One year later, Tennessee reported a 36 percent decline in successful “doctor shopping,” while New York reported a whopping 75 percent drop.
Hopefully, the Palmetto State will be able to brag of similar results down the road. But more of the medical community needs to be onboard. An ideal next step would be action from the General Assembly that would apply to prescribers for patients with private insurance as well.
Online: https://www.goupstate.com/
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April 4
The Times and Democrat on distracted driving in the state:
With distracted driving on the rise and contributing to the increase in motor vehicle crashes and fatalities, the search is one for causes and how to reverse the trend.
The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America is supporting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “One Text or Call Could Wreck It All” campaign to stop distracted driving.
Historically, NHTSA research has pointed to human factors contributing to 94 percent of auto accidents. Recent PCI analysis finds that distracted driving, in all its forms, is a leading factor in a rise in the number of accidents and fatalities over the last two years.
“Although there is no single answer to addressing the problem of distracted driving, there are a number of ways that motorists, policymakers, insurers and carmakers can work together to make roads safer,” said Robert Passmore, PCI’s assistant vice president, personal lines policy. “The implementation and enforcement of distracted-driving laws, which discourage texting while driving and ban handheld cellphone use are an important start. It takes a coordinated strategy combining education, personal responsibility and enforcement to get results.”
Today, 46 states, including South Carolina, ban text messaging for all drivers. Of the four states without an all-driver texting ban, two prohibit text messaging by novice drivers and one restricts school bus drivers from texting.
“In addition to the public safety concerns regarding the increase in the frequency of auto accidents, data also highlights that the insurance claims costs associated with auto accidents are becoming more expensive and this trend could impact insurance costs,” Passmore said. “The current trend lines make it even more (important) to work together in order to avoid unsafe driving behaviors, enact or strengthen laws banning texting and hand-held cell phone use while driving, and expand crash avoidance technology in new cars.
“Together, this can make our roads safer and lower our insurance costs.”
Everyone should favor that combination.
Online: https://thetandd.com/
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April 5
The Post and Courier on the relationship between South Carolina state government and South Carolina State University:
The relationship between the General Assembly and South Carolina State University, which has been strained for years, is growing stronger.
The Orangeburg college, under new administration and a temporary board appointed by the Legislature, is straightening out the fiscal problems that nearly sank the school.
And the Legislature, which was close to giving up on S.C. State, is now considering making a significant investment in it.
S.C. State borrowed $18 million from the state to keep the school from disaster when it couldn’t pay its bills.
The Senate Higher Education Finance subcommittee resolved last week to forgive almost $16 million of the loans.
It is the right direction for the Legislature, and for the school.
It recognizes the value of SCSU to South Carolina, the state’s only public college that is historically black. S.C. State educates students who might not qualify to attend other public colleges academically or financially.
Further, the way the forgiveness would be structured would also act as an incentive to S.C. State to continue to operate efficiently.
If approved by the General Assembly, the state would forgive $1 million annually if the university makes annual loan payments of $355,000 and operates within a balanced budget.
In 15 years, SCSU will have paid 15 percent of the loan, and the state will have forgiven the remainder.
Board Chairman Charles Way says this year’s budget is balanced, and he expects next year’s to be balanced as well.
He also indicated that S.C. State would be able to make the $355,000 payments. Paying more could financially cripple the school’s comeback effort.
School administrators have made significant cuts in staff and faculty, and are working to polish the school’s image and increase its enrollment, which had dropped in recent years.
With the General Assembly working as its partner, the historic school can recover and be stronger than it was before things went downhill.
That prospect demands the best efforts of both the Legislature and the school.
Online: https://www.postandcourier.com/
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