WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) joined a group of 29 Senate Democrats to demand Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Robert Wilkie take immediate action to address reports of significant delays in veterans’ prescription medications through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
Recent operational changes spearheaded by DeJoy, a major Trump donor, including suspending overtime pay for postal workers and halting delivery trips necessary to deliver mail on time have caused unprecedented mail delays. The delay endangers the health and safety of the nation’s veterans, as 80 percent of VA prescriptions are filled by mail. Over 142,000 New Mexicans have served the nation in the armed forces and are eligible for VA health care.
“Veterans and the VA should be able to count on USPS for the timely delivery of essential prescription drugs,” the senators wrote. “No veteran should have to wonder when their antidepressant or blood pressure medication may arrive – and the effects can be devastating if doses are missed.”
The senators continued, “USPS needs to immediately cease operational changes that are causing mail delays so that veterans do not needlessly suffer from illnesses exacerbated by delayed medication deliveries. Those who gave so much to serve this country should be able to count on the nation’s Postal Service to deliver their medications in a timely manner.”
The VA fills about 80 percent of its prescriptions through their Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP), which primarily uses USPS to deliver to veterans’ homes. The VA CMOP fills almost 120 million prescriptions a year, with deliveries arriving daily to about 330,000 veterans across the country. According to the VA website, “prescriptions usually arrive within 3 to 5 days.” Reports from veterans and VA staff have said that recently these medications are sometimes taking weeks to be delivered and causing veterans to miss doses of vital medications.
The full text of the letter is available here and below.
Dear Postmaster DeJoy,
Millions of veterans rely on timely deliveries from the United States Postal Service (USPS) to receive their prescription medications from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Recent operational changes you ordered at USPS are needlessly delaying veterans’ access to life- saving prescriptions, when the health and lives of Americans are already at high risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
VA fills about 80 percent of veteran prescriptions by mail, due to the high accuracy and lower processing costs of the Department’s mail-order pharmacy service, the Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP). The VA CMOP fills almost 120 million prescriptions a year, with deliveries arriving daily to about 330,000 veterans across the country. Veterans and the VA rely on USPS for timely delivery of these prescriptions, since approximately 90 percent of CMOP packages are shipped to veterans by the Postal Service. VA’s mail-order pharmacy service is also extremely popular among veterans, with an “among the best” rating in customer satisfaction according to the J.D. Power U.S. Pharmacy Study.
However, since you directed USPS to institute harmful operational changes that have restricted mail movement and limited carriers’ ability to timely deliver mail, we have received many troubling reports from veterans waiting weeks for their prescriptions to arrive due to delays at USPS. VA’s website states that “prescriptions usually arrive within 3 to 5 days.” Veterans and VA staff have said that as of recently, these medications are often taking weeks to be delivered and causing veterans to miss doses of vital medications. Most troubling is that these delays appear to be entirely avoidable. Veterans and the VA should be able to count on USPS for the timely delivery of essential prescription drugs.
Access to prescription medications is especially integral during the COVID-19 pandemic when routine health care appointments may be delayed or cancelled. No veteran should have to wonder when their antidepressant or blood pressure medication may arrive – and the effects can be devastating if doses are missed. Thousands of veterans, including more than 2,300 veterans who were VA patients, have already died from the novel coronavirus. USPS needs to immediately cease operational changes that are causing mail delays so that veterans do not needlessly suffer from illnesses exacerbated by delayed medication deliveries.
Those who gave so much to serve this country should be able to count on the nation’s Postal Service to deliver their medications in a timely manner. We request that the Postal Service examine the impact of its recent operational and policy changes on veterans’ access to prescription drugs, and work with VA to ensure no veteran suffers from further medication delivery delays.
