Reasons for Long-term Opioid Prescriptions After Guideline-directed Opioid Prescribing and Excess Opioid Pill Disposal

Abstract

In a group of prospectively studied opioid-naïve surgical patients discharged with guideline-directed opioid rxs and who achieved high rates of excess opioid disposal, no patients became persistent opioid users solely as a result of the opioid rx given after their index surgery. Long-term opioid use did occur for other, well-defined, medical or surgical reasons.