MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Sen. Ron Johnson says if Department of Veterans Affairs officials had acted sooner in investigating reports of overprescribing medications at a Tomah medical center, lives could’ve been saved. Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, responded to a report released Thursday that details initial investigations into allegations of narcotic overprescribing practices and retaliatory behavior at the VA hospital. The report says pharmacy consultants who didn’t work at the Tomah facility raised concerns about excessive prescribing there in 2012. Marine Jason Simcakoski died in the hospital’s inpatient unit in August of mixed drug toxicity. Johnson called for the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to investigate the report. He said the VA and the VA Office of the Inspector General haven’t provided enough transparency into their probes.
