Oramorph and morphine syringe driver

[corelli]

Hi, it's a stupid question I know but I am newly qualified and wondered about the use of oramorph with a morphine syringe driver? Do the two drugs work differently and therefore can be used together?

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

Oramorph is an oral type of morphine and absorbs differently than subcut or IV morphine

So no, you cant use the oral form of morphine in a pump

[corelli]

I don't mean using in a pump, I mean using it alongside it!

[marienm, RN, CCRN]

It is common for a patient to have orders for an oral narcotic, an IV narcotic for breakthrough pain, and hopefully orders for some IV or oral non-narcotics too (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, ketorolac as appropriate). My facility doesn't usually use oral morphine except for MS-Contin for chronic pain patients, so I'm not super familiar with it, but the idea of a patient getting both meds seems reasonable assuming that you give the oral med for 'average pain', assess for relief & over-sedation, and use the IV med for breakthrough pain. My only caution would be that some people just don't get good pain relief from morphine and something else...oxycodone PO or fentanyl IV or whatever... just works better for them. If morphine doesn't work well for this patient and all you have to give is morphine, you might have a challenge.