MB Herald | Local tiendas offer prescription medicines

Myrtle Beach—Two Hispanic tiendas, small grocery stores, in Myrtle Beach offer everything from groceries to boots to videos, all with Spanish labels.
They also offer something else that has one local legislator’s blood “boiling.”
Drugs that are supposed to only be dispensed with a doctor’s prescription are being sold alongside non-prescription drugs. Both stores checked on Tuesday offered Terramycin, a doctor prescribed antibiotic, being sold under the Spanish name Terramicinia.
The tiendas are not certified pharmacies but usually “mom and pop” general store-type operations.
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control spokesman Thom Berry said jurisdiction of enforcing laws against the Hispanic stores selling prescription drugs is not well-defined. He said DHEC is looking to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for guidelines.

DHEC is the state agency charged with registering pharmacies in the state.
“Right now, it’s up to the local law enforcement agencies to decide how to enforce selling these drugs without prescriptions,” Berry said.

He added that DHEC drug control agents are sworn law enforcement officers as well as registered pharmacists and are available to assist local law enforcement on the identification of drugs being sold.

Capt. David Knipes of the Myrtle Beach Police Department said he was not aware of this situation or any arrests or investigations in the matter.

Berry said the practice of selling prescription drugs at grocery stores is very common in Latin America and that he doesn’t feel the store owners are aware of the illegality of the sales.

DHEC thinks most of the prescription drugs are being shipped in with the other Spanish labeled products such as food and other items.

State Rep. Thad Viers said this situation is just one more example of how the state and country are setting up separate standards for legal residents and illegal immigrants.
“An ordinary citizen can’t just walk into a pharmacy and get these drugs without going to a doctor first,” Viers said. “But we’re letting these people break the law by selling prescription drugs right over the counter. I get furious just thinking about this. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”

Viers has introduced a series of bills for the upcoming session of the General Assembly to deal with illegal immigration situations in the state.

He also expressed concern about DHEC letting the practice occur.

“You let a developer dump some dirt in a river or waterway and DHEC is right there with fines,” Viers said. “But they’re letting people get by with selling illegal prescription drugs and they’re doing nothing about it.

“If DHEC needs a mandate on enforcing all the laws, they may get it.”

Mrytle Beach Herald
By Tom O’Dare
12/13/07

Sun News | Viers hosting Toys for Tots luncheon today

State Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, is hosting a constituent appreciation barbecue lunch from noon-2 p.m. today at the Forestbrook clubhouse.

The meal is free, but to dine you must bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Marines’ Toys for Tots program, Viers said.

Sun News

12/15/07

Sun News | Killian steps out of ed board race to run for state Senate

Greg Killian said Saturday he is withdrawing from the race for a seat on the state Board of Education and instead issued his challenge for state Sen. Luke Rankin’s job.

Killian’s action sets the local political season rolling early, as well as opens up the education board race again.

“Today, I contacted the chair man of the Horry County Legis lative Delegation, Rep. Thad Viers, to inform him that I wish to withdraw my name from consideration for the position of 15th Judicial Circuit representa tive to the S.C. Board of Education in order to devote my full attention to offering my services to the citizens of District 33 as their representa tive to the S.C. state Senate,” Killian said in a written state ment.

“Certainly it is his right to run,” Rankin said. “However, I suspect that the voters of Horry County will decide not to support him for the same reasons that myself and a majority of the delegation were not going to support him for the state board position based upon some of the things in his back ground.”

The Sun News
By Zane Wilson
12/15/07

“TOYS for TOTS” Christmas BBQ

Dear Friends,

Please join me for our annual:

“TOYS for TOTS”

Christmas BBQ

Thad Viers’ Constituent Appreciation Day

Saturday, December 15 – 12 Noon until 2pm
Forestbrook Clubhouse

We are joining with the United States Marine Corps for their annual Christmas Toys for Tots program. There is no charge for this annual Christmas party featuring great BBQ and fixins’ and desserts provided for all by The Melting Pot restaurant in Myrtle Beach!

There is no charge for this annual Christmas get-together – Instead, just bring a new, unwrapped gift that our Marines will give to the less fortunate children in our community!

It is an honor to be your State Representative and as we celebrate Christ’s birthday it should also be a time of fellowship with one another.

I hope to see you there. Please call the Horry County Delegation office at 915-5130 to RSVP for this event.

Respectfully yours,

Thad Viers

The Sun News: Lawmakers tapped to steer GOP House

Three Horry County lawmakers will again be in the handful of Republican state House members who are charged with whipping other party members into line when votes come up.

State Rep. Tracy Edge, R-North Myrtle Beach, was named one of three chief whips. Rep. Nelson Hardwick, R-Surfside Beach, and Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, were among 16 other whips named Tuesday by House Majority Leader Jim Merrill, R-Daniel Island.

The whips are responsible for lining up votes on critical pieces of legislation, promoting the GOP Caucus agenda, and assisting the party’s leadership, Merrill said.

The Sun News: Lawmakers tapped to steer GOP House
12/12/07

The Sun News: Former superintendent seeks state board seat

Former Horry Schools Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait jumped into the race for the local seat on the state Board of Education on Tuesday.

Postlewait was not available for comment.

One legislator who wanted her to run welcomed her candidacy, while two others said they don’t believe they will support her and criticized her for not stepping up earlier.

“That’s good news, that’s great,” said Rep. Vida Miller, D-Pawleys Island, who said last month that Postlewait is one of the most respected people in Horry County and should seek the post.

Read more

The Sun News: Select Postlewait for BOE

Normally, we don’t make snap recommendations of candidates for public office. But the instant we heard that Horry County Schools’ former superintendent, Gerrita Postlewait, has become a candidate for the S.C. State Board of Education, we resolved to recommend her to the voters.

The “voters,” in this instance, are the members of the local legislative delegations for Horry and Georgetown counties – 13 senators and representatives in all. At least two of them, Reps. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, and Tracy Edge, R-North Myrtle Beach, disapprove of Postlewait’s decision to see the seek the seat.

They see her candidacy, made public this week, as a ideologically questionable. Some delegation members appear to be focusing more on advancing their personal agendas than on what’s right for the people – the “people” in this instance being the schoolchildren of South Carolina.

Read more

The Sun News: Sheriff seeks help on illegal immigration

The Horry County Sheriff’s Office will apply for a federal program next year that will make it easier for deputies at the county jail to deport illegal immigrants, said Sheriff Phillip Thompson.

The program, called 287(g) after the section of the federal law that created it, would let deputies at J. Reuben Long Detention Center check the immigration status of inmates. If a database search determined that an inmate is an illegal immigrant, federal agents would take the inmate from jail and begin deportation proceedings.

An immigration violation is a federal offense, so state and local law enforcement agencies generally cannot enforce immigration law.

Read more

A Day of Research

Even when I’m not in session, I’m working hard on constituent service activities and in this case, doing research for bills I want to sponsor next year. Here’s a video update from a more casual day at the office.