South Carolina, in development
South Carolina Medication Assistant training
South Carolina's Medication Assistant certification is new. It lets trained staff give medications in licensed skilled nursing facilities after a state-approved program of at least 100 hours. Apex is building an RN-taught program to meet it. The program is not yet approved and is not enrolling, so join the interest list to hear first.
Apex already runs a Virginia Board of Nursing-approved Medication Aide program, No. 0030000391.
What changed
What changed in South Carolina in 2026?
South Carolina now has a statewide certification for staff who give medications in skilled nursing facilities and are not licensed nurses. The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) launched the Medication Assistant Training Program (MATP) under S.C. Code section 40-33-43, and began accepting applications from training organizations on January 1, 2026.
Before this, medication technicians in South Carolina were trained facility by facility, with no state exam or registry for nursing home staff. The new pathway creates a portable credential. A Certified Medication Assistant is listed on a state registry and can work at any licensed skilled nursing facility in the state.
Requirements
How do you become a Certified Medication Assistant in South Carolina?
Requirements are set by SCDHHS and may change. Always confirm current rules on the SCDHHS website before you enroll in any program.
Complete an approved program of at least 100 hours
At least 60 hours of classroom instruction, including skills lab or simulation, and at least 40 hours of supervised clinical practice in a licensed nursing home under an approved registered nurse.
Pass a skills competency evaluation
After you finish the training program.
Pass the Medication Aide Certification Exam (MACE)
The national exam given by Pearson VUE for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Be listed on the state registry
The South Carolina Medication Assistant Registry qualifies you to work as a medication assistant in a licensed skilled nursing facility.
Who it is for
Who is the South Carolina credential for?
CNAs in skilled nursing
Certified Nursing Assistants who want a higher-responsibility role and better pay.
Caregivers and med techs in assisted living
Staff who want a state-recognized credential. Note that assisted living and community residential care follow separate medication training rules in South Carolina.
Skilled nursing facilities
Facilities that need a steady supply of trained, registry-listed medication assistants.
What is planned
What will the Apex South Carolina program look like?
We are building it around the same model that works for our Virginia students.
- Instruction by registered nurses who are Virginia-credentialed medication aide instructors and live in South Carolina.
- Live online classroom with day or evening options, plus supervised clinical practice at a licensed South Carolina nursing home.
- MACE-style practice built into every unit, the same approach our Virginia program uses.
- One all-inclusive fee covering tuition, materials, clinical coordination and the background check, announced when enrollment opens.
Program details are subject to SCDHHS approval and may change.
Yes. Facilities will be able to reserve seats for their CNAs, host clinical practice hours, or both. Facilities that host clinical hours get first access to graduates. If you run a licensed nursing home in South Carolina, say so when you join the interest list and we will contact you directly.
Questions
Questions people ask
Call or text (929) 459-7160 if your question is not here.
Is the Apex South Carolina program approved?
Not yet. The program is in development. We will only enroll students after SCDHHS approval is confirmed.
How many hours is the South Carolina Medication Assistant program?
SCDHHS requires at least 100 hours, with at least 60 hours of classroom instruction including skills lab or simulation, and at least 40 hours of supervised clinical practice in a licensed nursing home.
What exam do I take?
The Medication Aide Certification Exam (MACE), after you pass a skills competency evaluation.
Will classes be online?
The classroom portion is planned as live online sessions with day and evening options. The 40 clinical hours must be done in person at a licensed nursing home.
How much will it cost?
Tuition will be announced when enrollment opens. We plan one all-inclusive fee with no separate charges for materials, clinical coordination or the background check.
Contact us
Join the South Carolina interest list
Send the form with your name, city and current certification. No cost and no obligation. We will contact you when enrollment opens.
Talk to Apex
Want to hear when South Carolina enrollment opens?
Call, text or send the form and we will add you to the list.