Rodriguez-Monguio R, Naveed M, Croci R, et al. - Using the University of California San Francisco Medical Center electronic health record data, researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study investigating perioperative prescribing practices of extended-release (ER) opioids in noncancer surgical patients stratified by type of opioid exposure prior to admission. In addition, they determined the predictors of postoperative opioid administration in oral morphine equivalents (OME). They assessed a total of 25,396 adult noncancer patients who were undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. Observations revealed correlation of substance use disorder diagnosis and use of opioids, surgery type, and postoperative administration of nonopioid analgesics with postoperative administration of opioids. In ER opioid users, the estimated adjusted mean of postoperative administration of OME prior to admission was twice the amount for opioid-naïve patients. During hospitalization, 1 in 5 prior to admission ER opioid users were weaned off ER opioids with no adverse effect on their postoperative pain or hospital length of stay (LOS). ER opioids were administered after surgery to 4 of 5 patients who used ER opioids prior to admission, whereas, 1 in 100 opioid-naïve patients were administered ER opioids during their hospital stay. Findings suggest a significant role of pain medicine practitioners and surgeons in tackling the surgery-related risk of exposure to ER opioids and reducing opioid-related complications.