Military drug sales amp up with rise in new veterans, retirees

With the growing ranks of aging veterans--and growing use of chronic meds by younger veterans--the Pentagon's spending on drugs has skyrocketed, with $2.7 billion in spending on antidepressants alone. An Austin American-Statesman analysis also pinpointed $1.6 billion spent on opioid painkillers, plus $5 billion on blockbusters now off patent, or soon to be. Report