Morphine

[swirlingsnow]

Do GP's prescribe injectable morphine?

Well, I didn't know so I asked Google 🙄 The injection appears to be reserved for emergency use and acute needs in hospital.

1. https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/morphine/how-and-when-to-take-morphine/
2. https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/gps/gp-mythbusters/gp-mythbuster-9-emergency-medicines-gp-practices

Lovely stuff, I've had it in hospital a few times. I can understand why they don't let people loose with it!

Why do you ask?

GPs can prescribe, but only under the direction of a consultant

In the community, it's used for palliative patients

Prescribed under instruction and then sent to the patient, with a lockable cabinet and with a directive which gives district nurses administering it authority and dosage instructions

I asked my question because I'm worried (suspicious) that I'm not being told the truth by someone. They told me their GP has now prescribed them injectable morphine. It's definitely not palliative care.

They tell me many things about their health which don't add up and I wanted to know if I should be on my guard or be a lot more sympathetic towards them (that sounds mean).

There's no locked cabinet & no nurse visiting to give the injections.

Have you seen the box with the persons name ,instructions,dispensing chemist etc?

I have slow release morphine tablets and oramorph. If I needed injectable the district nurses would have to come and administer it

It’s more likely to be given as a liquid (I have lupus and many other health conditions and many of us in the groups I’m in with similar issues have liquid oral morphine). The injected form is used more for people in hospice care type situations and usually given via syringe driver. (When my mum had terminal bowel cancer she had oral morphine right up until 2 days before she died and then she was switched to driver).

They told me they had been taking Oramorph - which I had for a brief period not so long ago - but then the Dr had switched them to injectable morphine - it "turned up" when pharmacy delivered prescription and they had to phone GP to confirm they should have it. They don't even seem to have been told how to inject it. This is just one small medical thing among others that they tell me that just don't seem to add up. I don't want to say too much because I think they trawl medical social media and they might recognise themselves & me. I suspect they might be an alcoholic who is very clever at disguising the fact. I feel so mean thinking ill of someone who may be in so much pain they're injecting morphine.

Sorry about the name change part way through.

Oh dear, @MissMarplesNiece, that does sound unlikely. And very sad.

To be fair, they probably are in pain without it - that's how addictions work. They must also be making themselves quite vulnerable to whoever is supplying it.

All I can do is remind you of the three Cs: You didn't cause it, you can't control it, and you can't cure it. https://al-anonuk.org.uk/

There is a Nar-Anon, but it isn't very well established. Some Narcotics Anonymous groups offer support to friends & relatives, but that's off-mission. All advice relating to alcoholics is adaptable to other addictions.

My mum was prescribed it for palliative care by the hospice consultant along with midizolam.

We didnt realize until 2 boxes of vials turned up with her other meds from the pharmacy!

No lock box and no pink form. We had to get the district nurse out to fill in the form so that other district nurses or paramedics would be able to administer it if necessary.

This sounds extremely unlikely. I mean, theoretically a GP could but I can’t imagine any of us ever would outside a palliative care setting - it would be a dangerous thing to do in the community and pretty much indefensible if / when something went wrong.

Good grief, @Newshoesnewname !

It was clearly a kindness by the consultant. But still ...

I know, we were slightly bemused when it turned up!
Considering she was still up and about on her feet, having visitors and carers in and out, and then if it had gone missing she might not have been given any more if she really did need it.
Scary really, but as you say misguided kindness perhaps, or i wonder if maybe confusion on the part of the pharmasist. Written up as a prescription but not necessarily meant to be dispensed immediately?