In an interview, Houlihan said there is nothing unusual about his prescription practices. Many veterans come to the Tomah VA after receiving large doses of opiates in private practice or during their military service, he said, and he worked to taper them back to safer levels. He also said doctors at the Tomah VA are relying increasingly on Suboxone, an opiate used to help veterans fight addiction to other narcotics — though he provided no statistics to back that claim.