Management of Patients on Abuse-Deterrent Opioids in the Ambulatory Surgery Setting

Purpose of review: The use of prescription opioids for acute and chronic pain has become more prevalent than ever, and concurrent with the increased prescribing of opioids, there has been a steady increase in opioid abuse. Abuse is commonly associated with physical or chemical manipulation of the original opiate to provide more rapid onset of the active ingredient.

Recent findings: This growing national public health concern has led to the development of various abuse-deterring opioids with the intent of decreasing the diversion of opioids from their prescribed use. Given the ever-increasing percentage of surgeries performed in the ambulatory surgery setting, anesthesia providers will inevitably encounter more and more patients taking these new opioid formulations with abuse-deterring properties. Consequently, a thorough understanding of these medications is vital for optimal anesthetic management. This article reviews the scope of the problem of prescription opiate abuse, summarizes the currently available abuse-deterring opioids, and discusses the anesthetic management of patients who are taking these new medications in the outpatient setting.