Government Healthcare Policy, Business and Technology

Review | Veterans’ health-care gap creates ‘greater risk’ for opioid abuse

The Washington Post: The information about the veteran is scant, clinical in tone, yet disturbing.

“At the time of his death, the patient was a male in his forties with a past medical history significant for PTSD, chronic low back pain, obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, and depression,” the Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general reported.

The veteran is identified as “Patient 1.” He was “hospitalized twice for suicidal ideation and a reported suicide attempt.” But only later, in a case of a buried lead, does the report say another attempt was successful — “suicide caused by toxic levels of sertraline, morphine, and gabapentin.”

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