Excessive Opioid Prescribing After Major Urologic Procedures.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Pain Management
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Postoperative pain management after major urologic procedures often involves prescription opioids.
• Understanding the discrepancy between prescribed and actual opioid consumption is crucial for optimizing patient care and reducing medication waste.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utilization patterns of prescription opioids in patients undergoing major prostate and kidney operations.
• To quantify the excess opioid prescribing and identify potential community waste.

Main Methods:

• A prospective observational study involving opioid-naïve patients who underwent major prostate or kidney surgery.
• Telephone surveys conducted 3-4 weeks postoperatively assessed opioid prescription details, patient usage, and medication disposal.

Main Results:

• 155 patients were analyzed; 86% male, median age 64.
• Opioid prescribing exceeded patient use by 1.9- to 6.8-fold across procedural categories.
• A total of 4065 oxycodone-equivalents were prescribed, with 60% (2622 pills) remaining unused in the community.

Conclusions:

• Prescription opioids are frequently overprescribed following major urologic surgeries, leading to significant medication surplus.
• The findings establish initial benchmarks for appropriate opioid prescribing quantities after prostate and kidney procedures.
• Further research is recommended to validate these guidelines and enhance patient education on perioperative opioid management and disposal.