On the recordMay 17, 2016
Today I rise on behalf of the estimated one in five veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The Department of Defense and the Veterans Health Administration have collaborated to develop clinical practice guidelines for PTSD. According to a GAO report earlier this year, the Veterans Health Administration currently monitors the prescribing of medications that are included in these guidelines, but DOD and the Army do not. This discrepancy could result in negative consequences for our men and women in uniform undergoing treatment in military medical facilities. My amendment would require each branch of the armed services to monitor the prescribing practices of medications to treat symptoms of PTSD among servicemembers. By monitoring the prescribing practices, we can make sure our returning warfighters receive the proper treatment necessary to alleviate the symptoms of PTSD. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment.
