Written Informed Consent Act

This bill mandates the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand the scope of an existing Veterans Health Administration (VHA) directive concerning informed consent for medication. Currently, VHA directive 1005, issued in May 2020, specifically addresses informed consent for long-term opioid therapy for pain . The proposed legislation requires this directive to be updated to encompass a broader range of medications. Specifically, it would extend informed consent requirements to include antipsychotics, stimulants, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and narcotics . This expansion aims to ensure that veterans receive comprehensive informed consent before being prescribed these particular types of medications.