ROCKY HILL--The issue of addictive opioids being over-prescribed and leading to addictions isn't just impacting the masses. It's hitting our veterans too.
After a similar law passed at the end of the Connecticut legislative session earlier this week, Sen. Richard Blumenthal plans on presenting legislation in Congress to limit the amount of pain medication prescribed by doctors at the Department of Veterans Affairs health facilities.
“The VA has failed many of our veterans,” said Blumenthal at a training event for veteran groups Friday at the Department of Veterans' Affairs campus in Rocky Hill.
Blumenthal says that too often doctors are turning to highly-addictive pain medication to help veterans. In turn, some veterans abuse and misuse the opioids, according to Blumenthal.
His legislation calls for better monitoring and tracking of prescriptions, as well as an expansion of pain management education by doctors.
And he said that we should be looking at other types of treatment as well. “Counseling and other kinds of medical care are more appropriate.”
The VA promised to take action last year, but Blumenthal says it's not moving fast enough.