Problem: A 50 year old female with terminal metastatic breast cancer is admitted to the hospital because of severe neck pain. The pain has worsened over the past week in spite of increasing amounts of oral pain medications. She is admitted for pain management and is initially given p.o. morphine 10-15 mg q. 4-6 hours p.r.n. for severe pain. During the next morning, she continues to complain of severe pain and is given IV (via peripheral vein) morphine 2mg, which relieves the pain. Eventually her pain subsides and the morphine is gradually tapered off. She is discharged and referred to the pain clinic for further outpatient care.