American doctors love their meds ... and the VA Healthcare System is no exception. I had an acute gallstones attack back in June. It was bad enough that it landed me in the ICU for the better part of a week. They had me on morphine while I was in, then when they sent me home (with a drainage tube sticking out of my side) after a week, they gave me a month's supply of some opiate or other (Tramadol, IIRC). Which I put on a shelf and ignored.
Two weeks ago I was back in, to have the gallbladder removed. This time they sent me home with a month's supply of Oxycodone. Which, like the other, I put on a shelf and never opened. In fact, I didn't even need Tylenol. I was more than a little surprised. I would have thought that the VA, of all places, would avoid prescribing narcotics if there was any way to not do so.