COMBAT THE
>>> FROM EYEWITNESS NEWS, THIS
IS 13 INVESTIGATES.
>> EYEWITNESS NEWS INVESTIGATION
EXPOSED THE U.S. MILITARY.
AND RIGHT HERE AT HOME, WITH THE
SUBSCRIPTION PAIN KILLERS.
>> WE LOOK AT THE OPIOID
EPIDEMIC INSIDE THE MILITARY.
BOB SEGALL SAID THAT VA
HOSPITALS HAVE MADE PRETTY
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES.
BOB?
>> THEY REALLY HAVE.
WHEN 13 INVESTIGATES HELPED
EXPOSE THE VA'S OPIOID CRISIS
FOUR YEARS AGO, THE MILITARY
KNEW THEY HAD A BIG PROBLEM.
THEY'VE DECLARED WAR ON OPIOID
ADDICTION AND HAS A MUCH
DIFFERENT PLAN TO ATTACK PAIN.
RICHARD LEE MAKES THE TRIPS TO
THE VA MEDICAL CENTER TWICE A
WEEK.
TO UNDERSTAND WHY HE'S HERE, YOU
FIRST HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE
HE HAS BEEN.
26 YEARS AGO HE WAS IN IRAQ, AND
HIT BY A TANK.
>> I HAD A LOT OF NERVE DAMAGE.
>> THE PAIN TREATMENT CONSISTED
OF DRUG, LOTS OF DRUG,
PRESCRIBED YEAR AFTER YEAR.
>> SLEPT ALL DAY.
COULDN'T DO NOTHING.
COULDN'T DRIVE.
NONE OF THAT.
>> THEN THE VA SWITCHED ITS GAME
PLAN.
THEY OFFERED OTHER THERAPIES TO
TREAT HIS PAIN, REDUCING THE
NEED FOR PAIN KILLERS BY 80%.
>> NOW IT'S VERY, VERY MINIMAL,
AND I AM STILL COMFORTABLE AND
TALKING WITH WALKING.
>> I THANK GODS I CAN TALK WITH
MY GRANDKIDS AND PLAY WITH MY
GRANDKIDS.
>> THAT IS PART OF THE OPIOID
SAFETY INITIATIVE.
THE VA'S PROGRAM DESIGNED TO
TREAT PAIN WHILE REDUCING
ADDICTION TO DANGEROUS PAIN
KILLERS.
THE RESULTS ARE DRAMATIC.
AT THE MEDICAL CENTER IN UNITED
NATIONS, 20% GOT AN OIPOID
PRESCRIPTION FIVE YEARS AGO, AND
NOW THE NUMBER IS DOWN TO 13%.
SIMILAR RESULTS AT THE VA IN
MARION, WHERE THE NUMBERS
DROPPED FROM 22% DOWN TO 12%.
THAT'S A HUGE CHANGE IN THE VA'S
CULTURE FROM JUST FIVE YEARS
AGO.
DOCTORS AT SOME VA HOSPITALS
TOLD 13 INVESTIGATES THAT
OPIOIDS WERE SIMPLY OUT OF
CONTROL.
>> THE PATIENTS I CAME ACROSS,
IT WAS NOT AT ALL UNUSUAL TO GET
1,000, 2,000, 3,000 TABLETS PER
30 DAYS.
>> FOR ONE PATIENT IN ONE MONTH?
>> CORRECT.
>> AND THOUSANDS OF VETERANS
PAID THE PRICE.
>> I WOULD SLEEP 23 OUT OF 24
HOURS A DAY BECAUSE OF THE
PILLS.
I LOST THREE YEARS OF MY LIFE.
I BARELY REMEMBER ANYTHING.
>> THIS INDIANA MARINE SURVIVED
BEING SHOT IN THE CHEST BY A AN
IRAQI SNIPER AND CAME HOME TO
THIS.
ONE MONTH SUPPLY IN THAT BAG FOR
PAIN KILLERS.
MORE THAN 13,000 PILLS PER YEAR,
PLANE POWERFUL AND ADDICTIVE
PAIN KILLERS.
>> I AM SURPRISED I AM STILL
ALIVE.
>> REPORTER: MANY VETERANS WERE
NOT AS LUCKY.
SOME DIED AFTER THE VA
PRESCRIBED TOO MANY OF THEM.
>> OUR GOAL IS TO TRULY
CUSTOMIZE WHAT THE PATIENTS
NEEDS ARE.
>> Reporter: THEY SAID THAT
OPIOIDS ARE BEING REPLACED WITH
OTHER THERAPY.
>> T'AI CHI.
ACUPUNCTURE, CHIROPRACTIC MEFDZ.
AQUATIC THERAPY.
THE MEDICAL CENTER HAS TO BE
PREPARED TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT
RESOURCES FOR VETERANS AND THEIR
FAMILIES.
>> Reporter: FOR VETERANS THEY
SAID THAT THE PROGRAM IS
WORKING.
>> THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB WITH
ME.
>> Reporter: FOR SOME PATIENTS
OPIOIDS ARE HELPFUL AND IN SOME
CASES ESSENTIAL.
THE IDEA IS NOT TO ELIMINATE
COMPLETELY BUT TO TREAT WITH THE
SMALLEST AMOUNT POSSIBLE.
WE'RE SEEING THE SAME TYPES OF
DECLINES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THERE WAS A DETAILED REPORT THAT
CAME OUT LAST WEEK.
THE RATES FOR OWNERSHIP
THE RATES FOR OWNE OHIP
THE RATES FOR OWNE OPIP
THE RATES FOR OWNE OPIOID RATESA
THE RATES FOR OWNE OPIOID RATESD
PRESCRIPTIONS IS POSTED AT
WTHR.COM.
>> SOME PROGRESS?
>> THERE IS.
SEEMS A LONG WAY TO GO, BUT THIS
IS A NATIONWIDE EPIDEMIC.
TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET THERE,
AND IT'LL TAKE TIME TO GET AWAY