Forms & routes

Common forms

• Immediate-release tablets (examples: 15 mg, 30 mg)
• Extended-release tablets and capsules (examples: 15–200 mg)
• Oral solution, including a concentrated 20 mg/mL liquid for opioid-tolerant patients only
• Injection: IV, intramuscular, or under the skin
• Epidural and spinal (hospital only)
• Rectal suppositories

Safety with the form

• The concentrated oral solution (100 mg per 5 mL) is only for people already tolerant to opioids. A measuring error can be fatal.
• Always use the calibrated syringe that comes with oral liquid. Kitchen spoons are not accurate.
• Never share a prescription, even with someone who is in pain.

Hospital dosing context — not a home guide

Labeled adult starting ranges exist for clinicians (for example, IV morphine often starts in a range of 2–10 mg per 70 kg, titrated to effect). Oral immediate-release in opioid-naive adults is commonly started around 15–30 mg every 4 hours as needed. Actual doses depend on prior opioid use, age, kidney and liver function, and the clinical setting. This is not a calculator and not instructions for self-use.