A patient has a pancreatic tumor and history of alcoholism. The patient receives morphine 2 mg subcutaneously every 3 to 4 hours for treatment of pain associated with the tumor. After 2 days of...

A patient has a pancreatic tumor and history of alcoholism. The patient receives morphine 2 mg subcutaneously every 3 to 4 hours for treatment of pain associated with the tumor. After 2 days of receiving this dose every 4 hours, the patient tells the nurse that the medication is needed more frequently to control the pain. What is the nurse’s best response to this situation?

a. The patient is becoming addicted to the morphine, and the medication should be administered less frequently than every 4 hours. b. A tolerance to the morphine is developing, and the patient should receive the drug every 3 hours. c. Administering the morphine every 3 hours will increase the patient’s physical dependence on the drug. d. Physical dependence should be avoided at all costs, and the drug should continue to be administered every 4 hours.