WASHINGTON D.C. (WTAQ) – Two Wisconsin House members want to create regional pain management boards, to help prevent drug problems like those at the VA Medical Center in Tomah.
La Crosse Democrat Ron Kind and Sherwood Republican Reid Ribble joined New York Republican Lee Zeldin in introducing a bill on the subject Wednesday. Kind said he hoped the accountability boards would discourage over-medications.
The Tomah facility is under a VA investigation for allegedly over-prescribing pain killers, and retaliating against employees who tried to expose it.
Earlier this month, the VA found that patients at Tomah were more likely than those at other veterans’ hospitals to get high doses of narcotics and opiates.
A 35-year-old Stevens Point Marine died at the facility last year, in part due to a mix of medications that were allegedly over-prescribed.
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)