The Department of Veterans Affairs has cited so many times that suicide prevention is at the top of their list.
Yet, time and time again the actions don't line up with their words.
As you know civilian doctors in the private sector have taken over my care.
I went to see a shrink to continue receiving the depression and anxiety medication.
This is the one medication given to me by VHA that has worked.
I went to Walgreens to fill my prescriptions and noticed right away the very big difference between civilian pharmacies and VA pharmacies.
For one VA gives too many pills.
Examples:
VA AMOUNT: Hydroxizine 100mg comes in 2 50MG TABLETS...
Civilian Amount: 1, 100MG TABLET...
I take this... the difference? VA supplies 180 TABLETS per month vs 30 by civilians...
Chances of overdose kind of small when taken by mouth...
But... we will get to that later....
Trazadone:
VA provides 100mg tablets that they cite to cut with a tablet cutter... often instead of giving 15 pills, they gave me 30, 100mg tablets... what's more is the instructions on the bottle say "Take as needed." This is not a "take as needed drug" but to be taken daily in the evening... most of the time...
Civilians provide 50mg tablets and only 30 day supply.
I see problems with this already....
Many veterans I have found are not taking handfuls of pills anymore.
They are snorting them.
I found blogs, Q&A about snorting these same prescriptions and many ended up in civilian hospitals with OD... and yes at some VAMC.
If I am in charge of Suicide prevention the first place I am going to look is at medicine practice of the VHA.
Yes, many veterans use handguns or try to push the right buttons to get someone else do it for them...
The second highest method of suicide is OD.
While under treatment by the VHA I never had my blood drawn to check levels of these drugs.
Just like weapons are stockpiled for an "as needed" basis so are prescriptions. How could someone not think that?
If you have a veteran that has stockpiled some 120 day supply of whatever at 100mg that is 12,000 MG that just became an effective way to end their life...
What about the other script I mentioned? A one month supply of hydroxizine is about 180 pills.... that is A LOT... about 9,000 MG....
I am not providing a way to suicide but looking from the outside in.. as coming from VA Healthcare to Civilian sector I am pointing out the very obvious.
If the VA Central Office is as serious as the rhetoric coming out of them, then they would REVIEW most URGENTLY on a better way to prescribe medications to keep veterans safe.
Remember the kid in the candy store?
Couldn't help himself.....
Most police will tell you that home invasion, property crimes occur as a CRIME OF OPPORTUNITY...
Just like that kid in the candy store...OPPORTUNITY...
You left your wallet on the dash, car running because you would be gone for just a minute...
Hence, the veteran committed suicide because he/she was granted the opportunity...
Take it as you will....
Veteran suicide is preventable if those in charge would stop trying to control veterans... Leading is not about control... it's about providing guidance, "To Care for him that has borne the battle." That is TRUE Leadership...
Christina
