Meggan Coleman, of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, speaks at a news conference on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in support of legislation requiring the VA to obtain ‘informed written consent’ from veterans before prescribing certain mood-altering drugs. Thirty-five veterans groups have endorsed the bill. (Rob Couture/Veterans of Foreign Wars)
WASHINGTON — Thirty-five national veterans groups urged Congress on Wednesday to pass legislation requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to obtain “written, informed consent” from patients before prescribing certain psychiatric medications.
The organizations — which include the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America — also sent a letter to leaders of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees demanding that they prioritize adoption of the bill, which is pending votes in both chambers.
The letter states that the legislation will ensure veterans are fully informed about a drug’s risks, “leaving no doubt about what information veterans are or are not provided.”
The Written Informed Consent Act would mandate that veterans receive clear and comprehensive information about antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications and other drugs for treating mood disorders, including the potential risks for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, supporters said.
“Our veterans deserve nothing less than complete transparency when it comes to their health and the medications they’re prescribed,” said Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., at a news conference organized by veterans groups outside the Capitol.
Bilirakis is helping to lead the legislation in the House, which has collected 19 co-sponsors, including Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., an Air Force veteran, and Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., an Army veteran.
Currently, verbal disclosures or limited written information may accompany these prescriptions, according to the lawmakers.
The bill would establish a standardized written consent form outlining potential adverse effects. Veterans or their caregivers also would receive in writing a summary of risks, benefits and alternative treatments.
Tim Jensen, a Marine veteran and president of the nonprofit Grunt Style Foundation, said he believes that the legislation will improve patient safety and empower veterans to make better choices for their health care.
Nearly 70% of veterans in VA care are prescribed psychiatric medications to treat mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, according to Grunt Style Foundation.
The VA declined to comment on the legislation because it is pending.
The bill requires VA health care providers to follow the same protocols when prescribing medications with risks of addiction and significant side effects as they do now when writing pharmacy orders for opioid painkillers.
The bill names several types of drugs for which the VA would have to get a veteran’s signature before prescribing. They are antipsychotics, stimulants, antidepressants, anxiolytics (anti-anxiety drugs) and narcotics.
Charles Garbarino, a retired Army colonel who worked for 32 years as a military physician, said that the types of drugs identified span hundreds of medications.
He also said that doctors in both the public and private sector typically do not explain in detail potential side effects, which often are printed or can be scanned with a QR code when the pharmacy fills the order.
“No one discusses all the side effects. I’m talking about all physicians,” Garbarino said.
Air Force veteran Derek Blumke, who is a veteran policy fellow at the Grunt Style Foundation, said he was prescribed up to six medications at a time after leaving the military, including Adderall for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Ambien for insomnia, and Gabapentin for anxiety.
Air Force veteran Derek Blumke said he was prescribed up to six mood-altering medications at a time after leaving the military. But Blumke said he was never informed about potential adverse side effects. (Rob Couture/Veterans of Foreign Wars)
Blumke served from 1999 to 2005 in the Air Force, with deployments to the Middle East. He then served in the Air National Guard, serving from 2005 to 2012.
But after being prescribed an antidepressant, Blumke said he began experiencing troubling reactions that convinced him to wean himself off of all the drugs.
Blumke now works with the foundation to raise awareness about drug risks, especially when medications are combined.
Doctors may prescribe a cocktail of mood-altering drugs that can cause unanticipated reactions, which leads them to add more prescriptions for treatment, Blumke said.
Side effects can include suicidal thoughts and behavior, agitation, addiction and dependency, Blumke said.
Garbarino said he takes prescription drugs to address PTSD, depression and nightmares connected to military service, which included three tours in Iraq.
“Because it was my psychiatrist who was prescribing, I did not question it,” Garbarino said, adding that the treatments are effective. “But my psychiatrist also said that if I have any questions or problems, I should call.”
Garbarino said he does not oppose the bill, but worries that some veterans might be discouraged from taking medication that could benefit them because of concerns about adverse reactions.
“If the veteran says, ‘I don’t want it,’ their refusal would need to go into their chart,” Garbarino said. “Leaving a serious mental health problem untreated can lead to suicide.”
But Blumke argued that doctors need to be better trained on prescribing these drugs, and veterans should be educated in advance about how a drug works, including its potential side effects.
“Veterans will become more aware and know when to reach out to their doctors if there are problems,” Blumke said. “Taking prescribed medication is not bad. But not informing patients of the risks is dangerous.”
