An obituary for postoperative use of modified-release opioids

Nicholas Levy¹, Dileep N Lobo^{2

3}, Pamela E Macintyre^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Bury St. Edmunds, UK.
² Division of Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, University of Nottingham and National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
³ Division of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
⁴ Discipline of Acute Care Medicine, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
⁵ Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

Editorial

Nicholas Levy et al. Anaesthesia. 2025 Oct.

. 2025 Oct;80(10):1169-1173.

doi: 10.1111/anae.16661. Epub 2025 Jun 17.

Nicholas Levy¹, Dileep N Lobo^{2

3}, Pamela E Macintyre^{4

5}

¹ Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Bury St. Edmunds, UK.
² Division of Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, University of Nottingham and National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
³ Division of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
⁴ Discipline of Acute Care Medicine, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
⁵ Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

No abstract available

Keywords: de‐implementation; immediate‐release opioids; modified‐release opioids; opioid stewardship; postoperative pain.

References

1. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Prolonged‐release opioids: removal of indication for relief of post‐operative pain. 2025. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d164ca0c569e0d48fb0a0a/... (accessed 21/05/2025).
1. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Modified release opioids and treatment of post‐operative pain. 2025. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d01193d5ec5ed9e09f5ef4/... (accessed 30/04/2025).
1. Quinlan J, Levy N, Lobo DN, Macintyre PE. No place for routine use of modified‐release opioids in postoperative pain management. Br J Anaesth 2022; 129: 290–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2022.06.013.
1. Levy N, Mills P. Controlled‐release opioids cause harm and should be avoided in management of postoperative pain in opioid naive patients. Br J Anaesth 2019; 122: e86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2018.09.005.
1. Shafer SL. Notice of retraction. Anesth Analg 2009; 108: 1350. https://doi.org/10.1213/01.ane.0000346785.39457.f4.