Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Prescription Drug Rules Hampering Veterans' Access To Painkillers
DEA regulations sought to cut down abuse of powerful opioids, but they have complicated efforts by veterans with serious war injuries to get relief from pain.
New federal rules that make it harder to get narcotic painkillers are taking an unexpected toll on thousands of veterans who depend on these prescription drugs to treat a wide variety of ailments, such as missing limbs and post-traumatic stress. The restrictions, adopted last summer by the Drug Enforcement Administration to curb a national epidemic of opioid abuse, are for the first time, in effect, forcing veterans to return to the doctor every month to renew their medication, although many were already struggling to get appointments at overburdened VA health facilities. (Wax-Thibodeaux, 2/18)
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