Veteran's wife asks for help with prescriptions

To the Editor,

My husband, John Putt III, is a 100% disabled Army combat veteran. He suffers from PTSD due to his time serving in Iraq in 2003. Due to his PTSD, he cannot wear a mask as it will trigger his PTSD.

During COVID, VA facilities required a mask to be worn to enter their facilities. Since John could not wear a mask, he could not receive treatment from a VA facility.

John was in need of an eye examination in 2021. Due to the mask issue, he went to see the eye doctor I have seen for over 30 years. This eye doctor is very professional and thorough, hence the reason I have been his patient for over 30 years. We trust his judgment.

After his examination and testing of John, he diagnosed him with glaucoma in his right eye. Our doctor then sent a prescription to the pharmacy at John J. Pershing VA Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. John pays the eye doctor a $40 co-pay for each visit as he wants to keep the doctor whom we trust with his eyesight. He is saving the VA $160 per year (4 visits per year). Nothing is charged to the VA.

John had been advised by the VA to go to one of their providers just to get his prescription. He declined as he told them that was fraud and he would not entertain that option. We then received a letter from the VA pharmacy advising they would not be filling the prescription as John did not go to one of the VA’s in-network providers.

I then called the office of Mr. Paul Hopkins, medical center director. For convenience, his office phone number is 573-778-4690. The female who answered the phone said she would check into this and get back to me as soon as possible. Shortly after the call, the same day, I received a call back from her advising John’s glaucoma eye drops would be filled. They continued to fill the prescription for the year 2023.

Fast forward to Jan. 29, 2024, we received yet another letter from the VA pharmacy in Poplar Bluff, advising they would not be filling his glaucoma eye drops prescription since he did not go to an in-network VA provider. I then called Mr. Hopkins’ office again and spoke to Vanessa. She advised she would have someone get back with us. John also emailed Dr. Pamela Wallen, who is connected to the Poplar Bluff VA hospital. Her phone number is 573-718-2785.

John’s email was sent on Jan. 30, at 10:47 a.m. He did not receive a response back from her that day however she called the next day and did apologize for not being available when he called as she was out of the office. She told him that she was trying to find out how his prescription got filled in 2023 when she advised she could not find any authorization in his file and told him it was embarrassing for them.

We reached out to our congressman and the White House. This morning Dr. Wallen called advising they were not going to fill his glaucoma prescription since he did not use one of their network providers. However, she did say they would fill one month of the prescription for him.

We are having to seek help from congressional and the media. We are just asking them to fill his glaucoma eye drops.

In closing, what if this was one of his mental health medications? What if he had a mental health crisis from not having his medication? What if he became another veteran statistic? These are the men and women who give their lives for the freedoms that we have in the United States of America. They come back from war a changed individual. Some with mental health issues, loss of limbs and some lose their lives. Our veterans deserve all the benefits that can be afforded them. They put their lives on the line for us. We are just wanting the VA to do the right thing and fill his eye drops.

Sincerely,

Shelly Putt,

proud wife of Army veteran,

John Putt III

Jonesboro, Arkansas