Opioids belong to the "narcotic analgesic" class of drugs and are
potent analgesic drugs. While these class of drugs are excessively feared, when
used judiciously, they provide excellent pain relief.
Common Opioids Used to Palliate Pain
in Terminally Ill Patients
Generic
Trade Name
Morphine
MSC, OSR, Roxanol™
Oxycodone
Roxicodone™, OxyContin™
Hydromorphone
Dilaudid™
Fentanyl
Duragesic
Methadone
Dolophine™
These drugs are available in oral and/or parenteral forms and also in various
formulations. In this module we will focus on calculating equianalgesic doses and opioid
conversions.
