Pain Medicine After Orthopedic Surgery

All children must be supervised when taking medicine, no matter what age they are. Do not increase the dose of medicine, take it more frequently or use it for longer than prescribed. It is very rare that a patient becomes addicted to pain medicine when it is taken for a short period of time. You should make sure your child stops taking pain medicine when directed by your doctor.

Please plan ahead. If you will need a refill, contact us when you have about two days’ worth of pain medicine left. To help us access your child’s record quickly, be ready to give the following information:

• Your child’s name
• Date of birth
• Medical record number
• Name of surgeon
• Date and kind of surgery or ER visit
• The type of problem your child received treatment for and their current problem

If you call Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., we will return your phone call by the end of the day. If you call after hours or on the weekend, you will be given only enough pain medicine to last a few days until you can be seen in the Orthopedics clinic.

Federal guidelines recommend that you throw out medicine in this way:

Drug Take Back Programs:

• Check with your local law enforcement to find a location near you or search the DEA website for an authorized collector near you.
• If a drug Drug Take Back Program is not easily available, there are two ways to dispose of medicines depending on the drug.

Flushing medicines:

• Only certain medications can be flushed. Check the label or patient information packet. If you are unsure if you should flush it, check the FDA’s website for a complete list of medications.
• Medications that are not listed or do not have a label, should not be flushed.

Disposing medicines in household trash:

• Take medicines out of their original containers. Mix them with an undesirable substance, such as cat litter or used coffee grounds.
• Put this mixture into a disposable container with a lid, such as an empty margarine tub, or into a sealable bag.
• Remove any personal information, including Rx number, on the empty containers by covering it with black marker or by scratching it off.
• Put the sealed container with the mixture, and the empty medicine containers, in the trash.

Call our office at 206-987-2109 if:

• Your child’s pain has increased and is not relieved by pain medicine.
• They have taken prescription strength narcotic pain medicine as scheduled for more than 10 days in a row. As pain improves, the dose of pain medicine will need to be slowly reduced to prevent withdrawal.

Safe Disposal of Medicines, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
fda.gov/drugs/ensuring-safe-use-medicine/safe-disposal-medicines