The simplest way to take morphine - and the way that is best for most people - is by mouth.

Some forms of morphine are long-acting so they only need to be taken every 12 or 24 hours to maintain pain relief. These forms work well for chronic pain.

Others are fast-acting, but don't last as long; they work well for short episodes of pain.

Morphine is also available for use as a rectal suppository, an injection, in an IV, or for epidural use . (See high tech options.)