BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Postoperative analgesia is often administered by the assistant physician non-specialist in pain management. This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of immediate postoperative period analgesia with drugs prescribed by the assistant physician, non-specialist in pain. METHODS: This is a prospective, descriptive and observational study carried out by means of interviews with 186 patients operated in Hospital Santa Cruz. Postoperative pain was evaluated after 12 and 24 hours, in addition to drugs used and possible adverse effects. RESULTS: In the first evaluation, 12 hours after surgery, prevalence of pain was 59%, being 35% from moderate to severe. In the second evaluation, 24 hours after surgery, prevalence of pain was 22% being 12% from moderate to severe. Variables "type of surgery" and "drugs used" have not influenced pain intensity in the postoperative period of 12 hours. However, "type of surgery" has influenced pain intensity (p=0.02) in the postoperative period of 24 hours, being that patients submitted to orthopedic procedures were more likely to report pain (49.57%) as compared to other types of surgery. Opioids had significant association with the presence of adverse effects in the first evaluation (p=0.0001). CONCLUSION: Our data have shown that analgesia with drugs prescribed by physicians non-specialists in pain management was effective when compared to other studies not using specialized pain services. However, a multimodal approach to acute pain management, coordinated by a specialized service, could further decrease this prevalence.