Children Often Don't Use All of Their Prescribed Opioid Pain Meds

After minor procedures, children and teens took less than half of the prescribed doses of opioids for pain related to the procedure.

Prescription opioids are an important source of misuse and injury for children and adolescents. To determine the potential availability of prescribed opioid analgesics following minor outpatient procedures (tonsillectomy, musculoskeletal, and others), researchers surveyed families of 223 patients aged 3 to 17 years about pain and doses of hydrocodone/acetaminophen, codeine/acetaminophen, and oxycodone taken in the 4 days after the procedure.

Among the findings:

14% of patients took no doses.
34% of parents gave only 1 or 2 doses.
39% of patients had discontinued all opioids after 3 days.
79% of patients had 3 to 4 weeks' worth of opioid doses left after discontinuing the med.

Reviewing Author

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

Children Often Don't Use All of Their Prescribed Opioid Pain Meds

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Reviewing Author