South Carolina H 4165: Non-opiod Pain Management

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4165 Text of Previous Version (May. 07, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

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