A South Carolina prosecutor is expanding his alternative court for drug offenses to include people who have to regularly take prescribed medicine.

The newly qualified people will be in a three-month program limited to first time offenders with the least serious charges, 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said in a statement.

Richardson, whose office includes Horry and Georgetown counties, said his office will continue a program for some more serious offenders that takes nine months to complete.

Both programs involve drug and alcohol testing at least twice a week, group therapy, monitoring by a judge, full-time employment and a curfew.

Officials in the program said they thought it was important to find a way not to exclude people with conditions or diseases that require regular prescription medicine.

The drug court has been one of the greatest tools prosecutors have to fight the opioid epidemic, with more than 550 people completing the program in its 16 years, Richardson said.

More than 90% of the drug court graduates are not arrested for another felony within a year of finishing the program the prosecutor said.