Palliative care for adults: strong opioids for pain relief

Continuing treatment for your pain

After a dose of opioid has been found that controls your pain, you should be offered a sustained-release form of morphine that you can take by mouth to continue your treatment. You may have already started your treatment with a sustained-release form of morphine, in which case this will be continued.

You should not usually be offered an opioid patch for your continuing treatment if you are able to take your morphine by mouth.

If your pain is not well controlled, even after the dose has been adjusted several times, your healthcare professional should review your pain relief plan and may ask for advice from a specialist.