The Veterans Administration policy against opioid prescribing will continue.

A retired Marine—Robert Rose who lives in Tennessee—filed what is called an SP-95 that claims veterans have been denied pain medications. The claim was denied, which opens the way for Rose to continue to try to find an attorney in order to advocate for veterans—living or dead by suicide—who he believes were denied pain medication.

Rose indicated his one-man battle against the VA is waning. He cares for an ailing wife.

“As soon as we can get an attorney, we can file a class action suit now that the SP-95 has been denied,” he said. “Otherwise I’m done. I just can’t continue to carry everyone’s story; their sadness and suffering is killing me.”

No attorney has surfaced despite Rose’s efforts to identify one.

Not ironically, the issue of opioid prescribing was noted on Twitter this week.

“Opioids are safe for ALL PATIENTS who need them for pain…all types of pain from acute to lifelong. The only people who should not take opioids are drug addicts, tweeted Helen Borel, RN, Ph.D.

A retired attorney, Rod Kilpatrick added his point to the conversation:

“Vets are dying because of idiotic Opioid Hysteria. VA ignores truth about opioids and succumbed to PROP’s propaganda. TRUTH: opioids are safe for 99+% of patients.”

Thomas Kline MD, Ph.D. has been highly critical of the government’s efforts—misguided he would say—to reduce opioid prescribing practices.

“We continue to record people with painful diseases ending their lives because of the opiate pain medicine hysteria affecting 7 million people with painful diseases.”

For the retired Marine Robert Rose—this dialogue is welcome—but absent an attorney who will advocate for him and other veterans, he’s ready to surrender.

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