SSG Norman Lihou 626866 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>The Office of Special Counsel confirmed whistleblower claims April 22 that a Veterans Affairs Department medical center in West Virginia substituted mental health medication with less expensive drugs to cut costs.<br /><br /> The OSC said in a letter (pdf) to President Obama that the VA clinic in Beckley, W.Va., put a "blanket restriction" on aripiprazole and ziprasidone, both antipsychotic drugs, to help meet its goals to cut costs for fiscal 2013.<br /><br /> Veteran's Health Administration regulations explicitly say that individual VA medical centers cannot remove certain drugs from a nationwide list of prescriptions that should be available to all veterans.<br /><br /> The VHA handbook also states that medical centers can't restrict drugs based on economics and can't prevent patients with legitimate medical needs from receiving specific medication.<br /><br />Read the rest:<br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/osc-va-hospital-switched-out-antipsychotic-drugs-save-money/2015-04-28">http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/osc-va-hospital-switched-out-antipsychotic-drugs-save-money/2015-04-28</a> <div class="pta-link-card answers-template-image type-default"> <div class="pta-link-card-picture"> <img src="https://d26horl2n8pviu.cloudfront.net/link_data_pictures/images/000/012/859/qrc/opengraph_fiercegovernment.jpg?1443040130"> </div> <div class="pta-link-card-content"> <p class="pta-link-card-title"> <a target="blank" href="http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/osc-va-hospital-switched-out-antipsychotic-drugs-save-money/2015-04-28">OSC: VA hospital switched out antipsychotic drugs to save money</a> </p> <p class="pta-link-card-description">The Office of Special Counsel confirmed whistleblower claims April 22 that a Veterans Affairs Department medical center in West Virginia substituted mental health medication with less expensive drugs to cut costs.</p> </div> <div class="clearfix"></div> </div> 2015-04-28T20:55:48-04:00 SSG Norman Lihou 626866

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>The Office of Special Counsel confirmed whistleblower claims April 22 that a Veterans Affairs Department medical center in West Virginia substituted mental health medication with less expensive drugs to cut costs.<br /><br /> The OSC said in a letter (pdf) to President Obama that the VA clinic in Beckley, W.Va., put a "blanket restriction" on aripiprazole and ziprasidone, both antipsychotic drugs, to help meet its goals to cut costs for fiscal 2013.<br /><br /> Veteran's Health Administration regulations explicitly say that individual VA medical centers cannot remove certain drugs from a nationwide list of prescriptions that should be available to all veterans.<br /><br /> The VHA handbook also states that medical centers can't restrict drugs based on economics and can't prevent patients with legitimate medical needs from receiving specific medication.<br /><br />Read the rest:<br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/osc-va-hospital-switched-out-antipsychotic-drugs-save-money/2015-04-28">http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/osc-va-hospital-switched-out-antipsychotic-drugs-save-money/2015-04-28</a> <div class="pta-link-card answers-template-image type-default"> <div class="pta-link-card-picture"> <img src="https://d26horl2n8pviu.cloudfront.net/link_data_pictures/images/000/012/859/qrc/opengraph_fiercegovernment.jpg?1443040130"> </div> <div class="pta-link-card-content"> <p class="pta-link-card-title"> <a target="blank" href="http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/osc-va-hospital-switched-out-antipsychotic-drugs-save-money/2015-04-28">OSC: VA hospital switched out antipsychotic drugs to save money</a> </p> <p class="pta-link-card-description">The Office of Special Counsel confirmed whistleblower claims April 22 that a Veterans Affairs Department medical center in West Virginia substituted mental health medication with less expensive drugs to cut costs.</p> </div> <div class="clearfix"></div> </div>

2015-04-28T20:55:48-04:00 2015-04-28T20:55:48-04:00 GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad 630188

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Interesting ... thanks for posting.

2015-04-29T20:39:55-04:00 2015-04-29T20:39:55-04:00 Cpl Andrew O'Neill 631016

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>If this is true it is unacceptable. I have a friend who is well tied in. I will ask him to look into it.

2015-04-30T07:48:50-04:00 2015-04-30T07:48:50-04:00 2015-04-28T20:55:48-04:00