releases: https://web.archive.org/web/20140413005240/http://shea-porter.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/shea-porter-calls-on-veterans-affairs-to-investigate-reports-of-opiate
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://web.archive.org/web/20140413005240/http://shea-porter.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/shea-porter-calls-on-veterans-affairs-to-investigate-reports-of-opiate | Shea-Porter Calls On Veterans Affairs to Investigate Reports of Opiate Overprescription | 2013-11-07 | 2013 | 2013-11 | Democrat | House | NH | Carol Shea-Porter | S001170 | web.archive.org | legacy | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ben Wakana, 202-225-5456 WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) has sent a letter to Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki regarding her concerns over recent reports that veterans in VA hospitals are being prescribed a potentially dangerous cocktail of prescription painkillers, leading to addiction and overdoses. The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) wrote that “Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the agency charged with helping veterans recover from war instead masks their pain with potent drugs, feeding addictions and contributing to a fatal overdose rate among VA patients that is nearly double the national average.” According to CIR’s analysis, VA prescriptions of four opiates – hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone and morphine – have surged by 270 percent in the past 12 years. In her letter, Shea-Porter asks the VA to fully investigate whether, as CIR alleges, some veterans are being overmedicated as a substitute for the full treatment that they have earned and need. “It would indeed be a failure to honor our commitments to our men and women who have sacrificed so much in service to our country if veterans were being prescribed powerful, highly addictive medications as a substitute for safer, more comprehensive and effective, and less expensive, non-pharmaceutical treatments,” Shea-Porter wrote. The CIR article tells the story of a discharged Marine who received nearly 4,000 oxycodone pills from the VA since 2008. In September 2013, CBS News also reported on the issue of overmedication. The Center for Investigative Reporting is a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization founded in 1977. In 2013, the organization was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in public service. Full text of the letter is below. +++ The Honorable Eric K. Shinseki Secretary Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20420 Dear Secretary Shinseki, I am writing to you to express my concern over recent reporting on the treatment of veterans with PTSD by the Center for Investigative Reporting. According to this report (enclosed), prescriptions of hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone, and morphine—all powerful opioids—have surged by 270 percent in the past 12 years. Additionally, this article claims that opioid prescriptions were higher for veterans with pain and mental health diagnoses, particularly PTSD. I find these allegations deeply disturbing. Our veterans deserve the best care we can provide for their injuries, both mental and physical. It would indeed be a failure to honor our commitments to our men and women who have sacrificed so much in service to our country if veterans were being prescribed powerful, highly addictive medications as a substitute for safer, more comprehensive and effective, and less expensive, non-pharmaceutical treatments. With respect to providing non-pharmaceutical treatments, I am concerned that the VA’s research into complementary and alternative treatment options seems so limited. In contrast, within the Department of Defense, the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center offers service members many of these therapies, such as acupuncture, art therapy, and canine therapy (the Therapeutic Service Dog Training Program). I would like to draw your attention to the new and innovative service- dog training program at Walter Reed NICoE that is designed to be a safe, effective, non-pharmaceutical intervention to treat the symptoms of PTSD and TBI. Service men and women involved in this program report a number of positive results, including lower levels of depression, improved self-control, improved sleep patterns, a greater sense of purpose, better reintegration into their communities, pain reduction, and improved parenting skills. There is now considerable anecdotal evidence that training service dogs reduces the PTSD and TBI symptoms of their Warrior-trainers. In the FY2014 National Defense Authorization Act’s House Report, I added language directing the Secretary of Defense to conduct whatever studies are necessary to evaluate this promising program, and my amendment to the Defense Appropriations Act funded a $4.5 million three-year research study to validate the effectiveness of this program. The most eloquent testimonials for this program are from service member trainers themselves. One said, “It is hard for me to put into words how very important working with these dogs has been to me. … Working with the dogs gave me a purpose again and a way to continue to give back to Soldiers, ... Training these dogs helps me rebuild my confidence level ...” Another: “The dog I am training bonded quickly with my daughter and me. … The dog allowed us to connect in a very positive way. Working with the dog has taught me patience, which also carries over to being a parent.” Or this testimonial: “Going out into crowded public places has been very hard for me. However, to train a service dog, you have to lead them confidently through places like grocery stores and on underground trains. I find that while teaching the young dogs how to navigate these places, I am much more comfortable as well. I am even learning how to enjoy interaction with strangers who approach me to talk about the dog.” (An article in the journal, US Army Medical Department Journal, describing this program is enclosed. The testimonials are in the article.) This and other complementary and alternative treatment options have shown great promise, and I strongly encourage you to expand and diversify the non-pharmaceutical treatment options available to veterans being treated for PTSD or TBI. I am sure that you will fully investigate whether, as the Center for Investigative Reporting alleges, some of our veterans are being overmedicated as a substitute for the full treatment that they have earned and need. I know how dedicated you are to improving the quality of the VA’s care for all of our veterans, and I thank you for your lifetime of service to our military, our veterans, and this great nation. I look forward to your response. Sincerely, Carol Shea-Porter Member of Congress ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |