Preoperative opioid use significantly decreased among surgical patients

The opioid stewardship program in Pennsylvania and New Jersey successfully reduced preoperative opioid use among surgical patients, dropping from 17% to 10% from 2019 to 2023. Additionally, the adoption of intraoperative blocks rose from 21% to 27%. Despite ongoing challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, opioid avoidance strategies were effectively sustained, with 68% to 70% of patients employing them. Postoperative opioid prescriptions remained stable at 81%, demonstrating the program’s resilience and effectiveness.