Two medicines, side by side
Morphine vs tapentadol
Morphine and tapentadol are both labeled for pain. Drugs@FDA records approvals of morphine since 1984 and of tapentadol since 2008. Pharmacies paid $0.226 per morphine sulfate ir 15 mg tablet and $14.48 per tapentadol HCl 100 mg tablet (NADAC, October 7, 2026); the strengths differ, so the two prices are not like for like. How each works, in its label's words: Morphine, “Morphine is a full opioid agonist is relatively selective for the mu-opioid receptor, although it can bind to other opioid receptors at higher doses.”; Tapentadol, “Tapentadol is a centrally-acting synthetic analgesic.”
Check it at the source: the morphine FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 13, 2026); the tapentadol FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 26, 2026).
Highlights of the morphine record
Morphine (Duramorph) · label of July 13, 2026
ADDICTION, ABUSE, AND MISUSE; RISK EVALUATION AND MITIGATION STRATEGY (REMS); LIFE-THREATENING RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION; ACCIDENTAL INGESTION; NEONATAL OPIOID WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME; and RISKS FROM CONCOMITANT USE WITH BENZODIAZEPINES OR OTHER CNS DEPRESSANTS Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse Morphine sulfate exposes patients and other users to the risks of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death.
Used for
From the label: indicationsMorphine sulfate extended-release tablets are indicated for the management of pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- September 18, 1984
- Generic labelers
- 22 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.226 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- In shortage
- Recalls
- 66
Highlights of the tapentadol record
Tapentadol (Nucynta) · label of February 26, 2026
SERIOUS AND LIFE-THREATENING RISKS FROM USE OF tapentadol TABLETS Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse Because the use of tapentadol tablets exposes patients and other users to the risks of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death, assess each patient's risk prior to prescribing and reassess all patients regularly for the development of these behaviors and conditions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ].
Used for
From the label: indicationsTapentadol tablets are indicated for the management of acute pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate in adults and pediatric patients aged 6 years and older with a body weight of at least 40kg. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- November 20, 2008
- Generic labelers
- 4 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $14.48 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 0
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Morphine label of July 13, 2026, Tapentadol label of February 26, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do morphine and tapentadol differ on the record?
How each works, in its label's words: Morphine, “Morphine is a full opioid agonist is relatively selective for the mu-opioid receptor, although it can bind to other opioid receptors at higher doses.”; Tapentadol, “Tapentadol is a centrally-acting synthetic analgesic.”
Both are in FDA's class opioid agonists.
Half-life, in each label's words: Morphine, “Excretion The elimination of morphine occurs primarily as renal excretion of M3G and its effective half-life after …”; Tapentadol, “The terminal half-life is on average 4 hours after oral administration.”
Both labels carry a boxed warning; the records quote them.
Generics: morphine since 1986; tapentadol since 2026 (Drugs@FDA).
| Morphine | Tapentadol | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Pain | Pain |
| Pharmacologic class | Opioid Agonist | Opioid Agonist |
| How it works (label) | Morphine is a full opioid agonist is relatively selective for the mu-opioid receptor, although it can bind to other opioid receptors at higher doses. The principal therapeutic action of morphine is analgesia. | Tapentadol is a centrally-acting synthetic analgesic. The exact mechanism of action is unknown. |
| Half-life (label) | Excretion The elimination of morphine occurs primarily as renal excretion of M3G and its effective half-life after intravenous administration is normally 2 to 4 hours. | The terminal half-life is on average 4 hours after oral administration. |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | September 18, 1984 | November 20, 2008 |
| First generic approved | October 7, 1986 | January 26, 2026 |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 22 labelers | 4 labelers |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.226 per tablet (Morphine sulfate ir 15 mg tablet) | $14.48 per tablet (Tapentadol HCl 100 mg tablet) |
| 12-month price change | -12% | n/a |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Shortage now | In shortage | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 66 | 0 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 120,591 | 33,272 |
| DEA schedule | CII | CII |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to morphine
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions