Postoperative pain frequently causes adverse physiological stress responses and delays postoperative recovery. Effective analgesia management is the guarantee of rapid recovery following surgery. Medications commonly used for postoperative analgesia include opioids, nonsteroid anti‑inflammatory drug (NSAID)/acetaminophen, ketamine, and dexmedetomidine. The characteristics of the above drugs, the adverse effects of postoperative analgesics, dosages, and administration of postoperative analgesics, and the current status of the above drug applications were described in this review. Opioids are the most commonly used systemic analgesic agents; however, care should be taken on their side effects, especially when administered in high doses. NSAID and acetaminophen are the most commonly used non‑opioid analgesics in multimodal analgesia; attention should be given to their contraindications and potential risks. Perioperative use of ketamine enhances postoperative analgesia but may cause psychiatric symptoms at high doses. Dexmedetomidine improves analgesia when used in combination with opioids and extends peripheral nerve block duration when used as a local anesthetic adjuvant; the side effects include sedation, hypotension, and bradycardia. A rational combination of the above medications is expected to provide satisfactory postoperative analgesia while reducing drug‑related side effects. Further clinical research should focus on the impacts of various analgesics on perioperative and long‑term outcomes.