The immediate postoperative period or acute episodes of pain typically refers to a time period of three days or less, and rarely more than seven days. Prescribe the lowest effective dose and number of doses required to address the expected pain. This recommendation does not apply to individuals already on long term or chronic opioids or opioid agonist treatment.
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain [Internet]. 2017 Aug 29 [cited 2017 Oct 6].
Scully RE, et al. Defining Optimal Length of Opioid Pain Medication Prescription After Common Surgical Procedures. JAMA Surg. 2017 Sep 27. PMID: 28973092.
Shah A, et al. Characteristics of Initial Prescription Episodes and Likelihood of Long-Term Opioid Use – United States, 2006-2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017 Mar 17;66(10):265-269. PMID: 28301454.