The Veterans Administration, after years of withering criticism for contributing to the U.S. opioid epidemic, instituted an array of procedures aimed at reducing the chance for addiction.
But VA Inspector General reports over the past year show facilities nationwide are still putting scores of veterans on opioids without following the new safeguards.
According to a review of dozens of audits, VA staffers are failing to assess veterans for risks like a family or personal history of addiction. They aren’t warning vets that opioid use could kill them or conducting follow-ups with patients on opioids for long terms.
