U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today made the following statement after a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that widely prescribed drugs including antipsychotics were ineffective in treating servicemembers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In 2009, over 80,000 servicemembers with PTSD were prescribed these drugs.
"These results are disappointing but not surprising," said Inhofe. "I have repeatedly asked the Department of Defense to consider alternative therapies and treatments, but our military doctors continue to rely on controversial and possibly harmful drug cocktails.
"Because of this, I have again asked the Senate Armed Services Committee to hold a hearing to highlight the challenges that we face in dealing with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. This hearing would be a follow up to our hearing last year on suicides in the military. I have asked that our witnesses include medical personnel from inside and outside the military as well as scientists, veterans, and family members.
"I remain committed to this issue and ensuring that our servicemembers not only receive the resources they need to fight on the front lines, but also world-class care when they return to the home-front."