Resources for families
Hospice medications: what they are for
Hospice medicines are chosen for one job: comfort. Most are familiar drugs used in small amounts for a symptom the illness causes. The hospice doctor orders them, the nurse teaches the family when and how to give them, and the comfort kit keeps a few in the home for the hours when a symptom starts before a nurse can arrive. This page says what each medicine is for. Doses are the nurse's and doctor's to set, for each person.
Medically reviewed by Oscar Chien, MD, Medical Director, October 19, 2026
On this page (8 sections)
Which hospice medicine is for which symptom?
Generic names only, grouped by the symptom they treat. Not every person gets every medicine, and the nurse sets the dose and timing for each person; nothing here is a dose.
| Symptom | Medicines often used | What the medicine does | What families notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pain | An opioid such as morphine or hydromorphone; acetaminophen for milder pain | Relieves pain so the person can rest, eat and talk | Drowsiness in the first day or two that usually settles; constipation, which is treated from the start |
| Shortness of breath | A small dose of an opioid; oxygen when it helps; a fan on the face | Eases the feeling of breathlessness, which is a sensation the brain can be helped with even when the lungs cannot | Calmer breathing; the person speaks in longer sentences |
| Anxiety and restlessness | Lorazepam | Calms anxiety and the restlessness that comes with it | The person settles; sleepiness, so the nurse watches the amount |
| Nausea and vomiting | Haloperidol, ondansetron or prochlorperazine, depending on the cause | Stops the nausea signal so the person can take sips and medicines | Less retching; sometimes drowsiness |
| Noisy breathing from secretions | Glycopyrrolate, hyoscyamine or atropine drops | Dries the secretions the person can no longer swallow or cough | Quieter breathing; a dry mouth, so mouth care matters |
| Agitation and delirium | Haloperidol; lorazepam in some cases | Settles confusion and agitation that frighten the person and the family | Calmer, often sleepier; the nurse looks first for a cause such as pain or a full bladder |
| Constipation | Senna, polyethylene glycol, a suppository | Keeps the bowels moving, which opioids slow | Ordered together with any opioid; the nurse asks about it at every visit |
What a medicine is for is the question this page answers. How much, how often and which form are the nurse's and doctor's answers for each person, and they change as the person changes.
What is in the comfort kit?
A small set of these medicines kept in the home, usually a liquid opioid, a calming medicine, an anti-nausea medicine, a medicine for secretions and something for fever or constipation, so that a symptom that starts at 2 a.m. can be eased before the nurse arrives. The nurse explains each one when the kit comes and again whenever you ask. Read the comfort kit.
What morphine does and does not do
Morphine relieves pain and the feeling of breathlessness. In the small amounts hospice uses, started low and adjusted to the person's comfort, it does not hasten death. When a person is already in the last hours of life, a dose given for comfort does not cause the death; people who are finally comfortable often become calmer and breathe more easily, and that calm is sometimes mistaken for the medicine causing the decline.
What families notice in the first days is drowsiness, which usually settles, and constipation, which is expected and treated from the start. Morphine is not "the last medicine" and it is not given without you: the nurse explains why it is being offered, and you can say no or ask to wait. The National Institute on Aging advises families not to be afraid of giving the pain medicine the doctor prescribes. Addiction is not a concern when a medicine is used this way at the end of life.
Why does hospice stop some medicines?
When hospice begins, the doctor and nurse go through every medicine the person takes. Some no longer help and only add pills, side effects or blood draws: cholesterol medicines, some blood-pressure and diabetes medicines, vitamins, medicines meant to prevent a problem years away. Those are stopped, with you, one at a time. Medicines that keep the person comfortable continue. Hospice covers the medicines related to the terminal illness in the plan of care (42 CFR 418.106); medicines for an unrelated condition stay with your usual coverage.
Who gives the medicines and who decides the dose?
The hospice doctor orders each medicine and its range. The nurse teaches the family how to give it, what to watch for and when to call, and adjusts within the doctor's orders as the person changes. The family, or the facility staff where the person lives, gives most doses between visits. If a dose is not working, call the nurse at any hour at (877) 258-7129; do not give more on your own.
What to ask the nurse about each medicine
- What is this one for, and how will we know it is working?
- What should we expect in the first day, and what is a reason to call?
- How is it given if the person cannot swallow?
- Which medicines go together, and which ones should never be given twice by mistake?
- Where do we write down what we gave and when?
Common questions about hospice medicines
Does starting morphine mean the end is near?
No. Morphine is started when pain or breathlessness needs it, which can be months before the end. The timing of the illness, not the medicine, sets the timeline.
Can we refuse morphine or any other medicine?
Yes. The person, or their representative, decides. The nurse will explain what the medicine would do and what the alternatives are, and will respect the decision.
What if the medicine does not work?
Call the nurse. The dose, the timing or the medicine itself may need to change, and that is a normal part of hospice care, not a failure.
Are hospice medicines paid for?
Medicines for the terminal illness and related conditions are part of the hospice benefit. Under Medicare there can be a copay of up to $5 per prescription for outpatient symptom medicines. Read does Medicare cover hospice.
What about medicines for other conditions?
Medicines for a condition unrelated to the terminal illness stay with the person's usual coverage, and the hospice tells you in writing which ones it considers unrelated if you ask.
What happens to the medicines after a death?
The hospice nurse helps the family dispose of them safely. Read the comfort kit.
Read more
The comfort kit, what hospice does and does not provide, the final days and what hospice provides.
About this page
- Written by
- Beta Hospice care team
- Medically reviewed by
- Oscar Chien, MD, Medical Director
- Last reviewed
- October 19, 2026
- Next review
- April 19, 2027
How we write and review this site
Sources
- National Institute on Aging: Providing care and comfort at the end of life (opens in a new tab)
- Medicare.gov: Hospice care coverage (opens in a new tab)
- 42 CFR 418.106: Drugs and biologicals, medical supplies and durable medical equipment (opens in a new tab)
- 42 CFR 418.202: Covered hospice services (opens in a new tab)
These sources support the general information on this page. For one personās care and coverage, talk with the hospice team.
You do not have to decide alone.
Call (877) 258-7129 any time, or leave your number and someone from Beta's hospice team will call you. No decision is needed to call. Most families start with a question.
Only a hospice doctor, together with the personās own doctor, can confirm hospice eligibility. A website cannot.
- A nurse answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- You can stop hospice at any time
- You have the right to choose your hospice