U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Calls for Senate Hearing on VA's Improper Prescribing Practices

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today called for a Senate hearing to address the failure of the Department of Veterans Affairs to stop improper prescribing practices at the Tomah VA Medical Center. In a letter to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman and Ranking Member, Baldwin noted the extremely troubling reports of over-medication and associated abuse of administrative authority at the Tomah VA and the need to immediately examine the use of opioids across the entire VA network.

"I am writing to request that you hold a hearing to address the failure of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to stop improper opioid prescribing practices and associated abuse of administrative authority at the Tomah VA Medical Center," Baldwin wrote. "Additionally, I am concerned that these problems are not unique to the Tomah facility; therefore, I request that the hearing also examine the problem of overmedication across the VA network, particularly the use of opioids for mental health treatment… I believe that more needs to be done to ensure that our nation's veterans receive the timely, safe, and highest-quality care that they have earned."

Last week, Baldwin spoke to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald and called for an intervention and a thorough investigation of the operation of the Tomah VA. Secretary McDonald immediately launched an investigation of the facility and removed the Tomah Chief of Staff from the facility and barred him from seeing patients and writing prescriptions.

When Baldwin's office was first contacted by a constituent last March with concerns about the Tomah VA Medical Center, Baldwin brought those concerns on behalf of a constituent to the Tomah VA, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Headquarters in Washington, and the VA Office of Inspector General.

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