Overprescribing opioids for emergency surgery patients does not improve postoperative outcomes

Patients undergoing emergency surgery in Michigan were prescribed an average of 9.6 opioid pills, but only consumed 4.6 pills on average. Larger prescriptions were associated with higher consumption, but did not lead to reduced pain, higher satisfaction, improved quality of life, or less regret about undergoing surgery. These findings suggest that opioids may be excessively prescribed to emergency surgery patients, with no added benefit in terms of patient experience.