According to a study published online in the journal Annals of Surgery, dissemination of operation-specific guidelines for opioid prescribing to surgeons may be linked to a reduction in the number of opioids prescribed. 

The research team analyzed opioid prescription and use for five common outpatient procedures at a single center and developed guidelines for opioid prescribing to reduce the number of pills prescribed and satisfy 80 percent of patients' opioid requirements. They found that use of the guideline was linked with a 53 percent reduction in total number of pills prescribed. Overall, only one patient of 246 (0.4 percent) required a refill opioid prescription, while 85 percent of patients used either an NSAID or acetaminophen. Learn more...