Echo Rx Greenville County

The Empowering Communities for Healthy Outcomes Coalition (ECHO) was established in 2015 to focus on prescription and Opioid drug misuse/abuse. This effort was funded with seed money from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) through a cooperative agreement with the South Carolina Governor’s Office. The Greenville ECHO Rx Coalition works closely with the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) and uses a comprehensive strategic plan addressing the 5 steps of the strategic prevention framework (assessment, capacity, planning, implementation, and evaluation).

ECHO Rx Greenville has worked diligently to build a strong coalition of over 40 community leaders who have investigated the local problems, contributing factors, and solutions regarding Opioid abuse/misuse. The Coalition has already created linkages and collaboration among system and partner agencies throughout the county, conducted comprehensive county needs and resources assessment, and identified evidence-based interventions that will produce population level change in South Carolina.

The ECHO Rx Greenville Coalition focuses on community access to prescription and illegal Opioids; specifically decreasing social and retail access to these substances. Through this effort, the Coalition has been able to increase the number of drug dropboxes from only 1 dropbox to 7 dropboxes located in pharmacies and local police departments around the county. This keeps unused perscription drugs safe from abuse/misuse in the community. The Coalition also works to educate the community on the harmful effects of Opioid abuse/misuse through community forums, billboards, social media, trainings and collaborations with local health professionals, law enforcement, policy makers, treatment professionals and other community leaders.