7/2/2006 Chicago Tribune. Drug Already in Pipline VA Aide Says. Jon Yates Staff reporter.

"Harold Lavie completed chemotherapy for prostate cancer May 26....getting the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in North Chicago to approve his prescription for Casodex, a popular cancer drug he had used with success in the past...languished in VA red tape for weeks....he went to his local Walmart, intent on paying for the medicine...he was told the drugs cost $440.00 for 30 pills...They're wonderful at the VA usually, but this has been a fiasco...he called the pharmacy every day to see if the drug has been approved....Every day, they say it's not. The Problem Solver [Chgo Tribune] called the VA spokesperson after getting Levie's e-mail. The next morning, Levie's doctor called him and said the medicine had been approved.

He got a call from a VA representative after the Casodex was approved...promised to..try to avoid similar problem in the future. Some days, he said, when he called the VA looking for help, no one answered the phone."