Red Morphine Drops

Red Morphine Drops (RMD) is a traditional Danish off-label oral formulation consisting of morphine as the active ingredient, ethanol, and a red colorant (cochenille/carmine dye). Originally described in the 1893 Pharmacopoea Danica, RMD is primarily used in palliative care for the rapid symptomatic relief of episodic breathlessness (dyspnea) in cancer patients. As a mu-opioid receptor agonist, morphine palliates dyspnea by modulating the central perception of respiratory distress and reducing the ventilatory response to hypoxia and hypercapnia. Although historically popular in Denmark, the Danish Medicines Agency has recommended transitioning to registered morphine drops that do not contain ethanol. The formulation was evaluated in a Phase 4 clinical trial at Zealand University Hospital to compare its efficacy and safety against standard aqueous morphine sulfate drops for exercise-induced dyspnea.

Other names

Morphini rutiliRed Morphine