End the VA's Opioid Safety Initiative, which is preventing vets with chronic pain from getting the meds they need.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has enacted the Opioid Safety Initiative, a poorly-executed plan that has resulted in veterans with chronic pain being cut off from the medications they need to alleviate their pain and have quality of life. This is a knee-jerk response to sensationalistic media reports of isolated cases of overprescribing and misuse. Even if a veteran has been taking the same medications for years, they are suddenly being withdrawn from their prescribed medications and referred to substance abuse programs. Being dependent on pain medication for chronic pain is no different than depending on insulin for diabetes. Labeling vets as drug addicts just because they are in pain is a disgraceful way to treat our heroes. Leave medical decisions to doctors, not politicians.