Tracking Opioid Refills After Surgery

Researchers evaluated perioperative and postdischarge factors associated with opioid refill prescriptions during the first 90 days after inpatient otolaryngology–head and neck surgery.

By
Kathryn Wighton
February 6, 2026
4 min

MDSpire News

Overview

Revise to clarify the study's focus on inpatient otolaryngology and the implications of discharge prescribing on refill rates.

Background

Incorporate specific statistics from the study to illustrate the challenges in opioid management.

Data Highlights

Time Interval	Refill Rate (%)
1 to 30 days	25.3
31 to 60 days	13.7
61 to 90 days	13.0

Key Findings

25.3% of patients received an opioid refill within 30 days of discharge.
Both underprescription and overprescription of opioids at discharge increased refill risk within 30 days.
Preoperative opioid use was associated with increased refill risk across all postdischarge intervals.
Higher postoperative pain scores correlated with refills within 30 days.
Receipt of a prior refill was the strongest predictor of subsequent refills.

Clinical Implications

Clinicians should carefully align discharge opioid prescriptions with patients' inpatient opioid consumption to minimize refill rates. Monitoring preoperative medication use can also help identify patients at higher risk for opioid refills.

Conclusion

The study underscores the importance of tailored opioid prescribing practices to reduce the risk of postoperative refills and potential long-term opioid use.