Assessment of post-operative opioid prescribing practices in a community hospital ambulatory surgical center.

Objective: To evaluate the prescribing practices and opioid consumption in an ambulatory setting to inform the development of evidence-based guidelines.

Design: A prospective study of adults undergoing outpatient open and laparoscopic surgeries over 3 months. One week after discharge, a telephonic interview quantified the number of opioids prescribed and consumed, degree of pain control and satisfaction, and whether additional pain medication was requested.