Morphine has been stigmatized as a drug for the dying, used to hasten death, according to a study by researchers at the Gloucester Royal Hospital and the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.

Patients believed that receiving opioids meant dying soon. About 40 to 70 percent of cancer patients had incorrect pain management, according to previous studies on the subject.

"If we are to employ the range of available opioids in order to successfully manage pain caused by cancer, we must ensure that morphine does not remain inextricably linked with death," said Dr. Colette Reid, lead author.

"If this connection stays in place then morphine will continue to be viewed as a comfort measure for the dying," said Reid, "rather than a means of pain control for the living."

The study focused on interviews with cancer patients regarding being treating with opioids like morphine. Reid and colleagues analyzed the patient reactions, according to the study.

The interviews revealed that patients were offered morphine believed it to be a "last resort" and believed that if they decided to take the drug, it would be like deciding to die, according to the study.

Patients chose not to take morphine and thus their pain management was not as it should have been, according to the authors.

"The fear of these patients was that morphine … once commenced would mean that they would not be able to function normally," said the authors. "However, morphine if used properly, can actually promote quality of life by allowing patients with pain to function better."

The study suggests that the role of physician is crucial in helping patients and families choose their method of pain control.

Address: Gloucester Royal Hospital, Great Western Road, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL1 3NN, England; www.gloshospitals.org.uk.