House Bill Seeks to Help Veterans Access Alternatives to Opioids

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers introduced legislation to help veterans access alternatives to opioids, part of a broader push to promote safer painkillers and reduce overdose deaths.

The Nopain for Veterans Act would require the US Department of Veterans Affairs to include non-opioid pain drugs on its formulary, making it easier for patients to access them. The bill has several sponsors, including Reps. Greg Landsman, a Democrat from Ohio, and Derrick Van Orden, a Republican from Wisconsin and former Navy Seal.