Opioids can be safely omitted after major surgeries.

A protocol to eliminate routine opioid prescriptions for patients after major intra-abdominal surgery resulted in a significant decrease in post-discharge opioid use. Only 17% of patients in the intervention group received opioids within thirty days compared to 46% in the control group (p<0.001). Despite equivalent inpatient opioid usage, the intervention group had a median discharge prescription of 0 mg compared to 10 mg for the control group. However, thirty-day readmission rates remained unchanged.