Surgery patients prescribed far more opioids than they take

RESEARCHERS COUNTED HOW MANY TABLETS OF HYDROCODONE/ACETAMINOPHEN — AT A DOSE OF 5/325 MG — PATIENTS WERE GIVEN AND TOOK. (JAMA SURGERY)

New research adds to that evidence that opioids are often overprescribed after surgery. Researchers looked at data from nearly 2,400 patients who had surgery in Michigan in 2017. Patients were often sent home with many more painkillers than they actually took: The median prescription was 30 pills, while the median use was just nine pills. And the more opioids patients were prescribed, the more likely they were to use more opioids. Excessive opioid prescribing after surgery [is] widespread," the authors write. "Recognizing overprescribing and accurately identifying patient consumption after surgery is the first step in improving prescribing practices."