Washington, D.C.-The Veterans Administration is mobilizing its forces to issue warning letters to those veterans that may be taking Chantix in efforts to stop smoking.
Select populations of Veterans that have been taking the Chantix drug to try to stop smoking are at increased risk of possible side effects from the drug.
Some patients are at risk for psychiatric side effects from the drug.
There are isolated reports that patients that use the Chantix drug that are undergoing other types of emotional or physical medication treatment may be at increased risk for suicide.
The levels of increased risks appears to be low, but the Veterans Administration has waited several months and is now moving swiftly to issue warning letters to any Veteran who has taken the drug over the last 18 months.
Because the increased risk of complications or side effects from the Chantix drug are relatively low the VA has chosen to wait for several months without issuing any warnings at all, but this has brought the agency into sharp criticism by different investigators from the media and the Federal Government.
Beginning this last week, over 30,000 veterans will be receiving letters warning them of the side effects that are possible in rare cases and steps they can take to avoid suffering any ill effects.