Investigation: Vets Dying of Overmedication

After war, veterans are returning home and seeking medical treatment only to die as a result of accidental overdoses from the large quantity of prescribed painkillers. An investigation by CBS News found that veterans are dying due to the practice of overmedication at a much higher rate than the general population. One doctor at a Veteran Affairs (VA) branch said supervisors told them to sign off on prescriptions for patients they'd never met. According to VA records, the number of patients has only risen by 29 percent, but prescriptions for narcotics have jumped 259 percent.