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Excessive postdischarge prescribing of opioids to patients after surgery has contributed to the U.S. opioid crisis, in part through diversion of unused pills. How does the U.S. compare with the rest of the world?
In this prospective cohort study of 4690 adults from 14 institutions in eight countries, researchers reviewed medical records to assess patterns of postdischarge opioid prescriptions following appendectomy, cholecystectomy, or inguinal hernia repair. Ninety-one percent of U.S. patients were prescribed opioids, compared with 5% of non-U.S. patients. The mean number of opioid pills prescribed was 23 in the U.S. but only 1 in other countries. The mean number of oral morphine equivalents prescribed was 184 mg in the U.S. and 5 mg in oth…