New guidelines reduce opioid consumption after surgical procedures

An analysis of the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative registry reveals that patient-reported opioid consumption decreased from 2018 to 2021 following updated prescribing guidelines. Out of 39,493 opioid-naive patients, the guidelines did not change for seven procedures but were lowered for nine, predominantly by five pills. New upper limits of 10 pills or fewer were established for all procedures, demonstrating a successful effort to balance adequate pain management and minimizing excessive opioid prescriptions.