Brand name · Morphine sulfate
MS Contin: adverse event reports filed with FDA
52,128 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Opioid agonist. Also reported as Ms Contin Tablets.
- 52,128
- reports as suspect product
- 0.3% of all reports · about 2,317 a year
- 55
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 42 in the 12 months before
- 98.7%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 91.7% across the class
- 42.4%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 22,110 reports · not verified by FDA
Between January 2004 and June 2026, 52,128 adverse event reports received by FDA list the brand name MS Contin (morphine sulfate) as a suspect or interacting product. Reports that mention it only as a concomitant medication (7,300) are left out of every figure here.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 55 reports listed it, up 31% from 42 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 2,317 reports a year and 0.3% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 5.4% of the reports for the opioid agonist class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
Reporters most often recorded drug dependence (51.8%), overdose (34.5%) and pain (27.4%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 1,161 different terms appear across these reports. Drug dependence is recorded in 51.8% of these reports, a larger share than in the median opioid agonist drug (5.6%).
98.7% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (91.7% across the class); 42.4% record death among the outcomes and 7.2% record hospitalisation, as reported. 76.8% of the reports came from other health professionals, and the largest patient age group is 45 to 64 (1.7%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.
By year received
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of MS Contin reports recording the termmedian drug in opioid agonist
- Drug dependencedependence on a medicine51.8%27,006
- Overdosea dose above the recommended amount34.5%17,997
- Painpain, site not specified27.4%14,263
- Emotional distressemotional distress26.8%13,958
- Deaththe patient died; cause not stated by this term25%13,019
- Drug withdrawal syndromesymptoms on stopping a medicine23%12,012
- Toxicity to various agentspoisoning or toxic effect of one or more substances18%9,378
- Drug abusemisuse of a medicine4.2%2,201
- Drug withdrawal syndrome neonatal3.9%2,058
- Depressionlow mood3%1,566
- Anxietyanxiety2.8%1,446
- Foetal exposure during pregnancythe unborn baby was exposed to the medicine2.2%1,159
- Learning disability1.9%1,012
- Developmental delayslower development in a child1.6%842
- Mental disorder1.6%833
- Disability1.4%714
- Accidental overdosean accidental overdose1.4%713
- Unevaluable eventthe event could not be assessed1.3%683
- Withdrawal syndrome1.1%573
- Cardiac disorder1.1%566
- Injurya physical injury1.1%565
- Maternal exposure during pregnancythe mother took the medicine during pregnancy0.8%420
- Constipationconstipation0.8%414
- Road traffic accidenta road accident0.8%409
- Suicidal ideationthoughts of suicide0.8%393
- Dependence0.7%382
- Nauseafeeling sick0.7%370
- Amnesiamemory loss0.7%367
- Vomitingbeing sick0.7%350
- Intentional product misusedeliberate use not as intended0.7%343
Top 30 of 1,161 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 42 drugs in the opioid agonist class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 965,051 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 96.9% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pain | 23,656 | 45.4% |
| Back pain | 242 | 0.5% |
| Cancer pain | 114 | 0.2% |
| Pain management | 107 | 0.2% |
| Foetal exposure during pregnancy | 84 | 0.2% |
| Back injury | 77 | 0.1% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 52,128 reports.
Drugs most often listed in the same reports
| Drug (any role in the report) | Reports | Share of MS Contin reports |
|---|---|---|
| OxyContin | 46,686 | 89.6% |
| Oxycodone hydrochloride | 40,755 | 78.2% |
| Dilaudid | 37,931 | 72.8% |
| Butrans | 27,633 | 53% |
| Hysingla ER | 25,788 | 49.5% |
| Percocet | 24,309 | 46.6% |
| Hydromorphone | 24,156 | 46.3% |
| Opana | 23,452 | 45% |
| Opana Er | 22,882 | 43.9% |
| Percodan | 22,798 | 43.7% |
Other products listed in reports where MS Contin is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.
In context
| Measure | MS Contin | Opioid agonist | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 52,128 | 965,051 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 5.4% | 0.3% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 55 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 98.7% | 91.7% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 424 | 357 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 72 | 126 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 20.3% | 32.5% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Drug dependence 51.8% | median 5.6% | 0.8% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Other drugs in the opioid agonist class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OxyContin | brand | 146,263 | 584 | 94.6% |
| Oxycodone hydrochloride | generic | 113,220 | 2,598 | 94.7% |
| Dilaudid | brand | 64,191 | 173 | 95.7% |
| Morphine sulfate | generic | 60,092 | 1,577 | 79.8% |
| Hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen | generic | 59,052 | 170 | 96.2% |
| Percocet | brand | 57,793 | 198 | 95.4% |
| Fentanyl | generic | 53,656 | 3,292 | 86.2% |
| Oxycodone | generic | 35,671 | 2,853 | 91.8% |
| Hysingla ER | brand | 30,703 | 6 | 92.1% |
| Morphine | generic | 28,421 | 1,421 | 90.5% |
| Nucynta | brand | 27,575 | 127 | 90.4% |
| Tramadol hydrochloride | generic | 27,447 | 1,952 | 92.4% |
| Oxycodone and acetaminophen | generic | 24,919 | 112 | 94% |
| Norco | brand | 24,661 | 42 | 93.1% |
| Methadone | generic | 24,293 | 909 | 94.7% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.
Questions about MS Contin reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for MS Contin?
52,128 reports list MS Contin as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 55 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 7,300 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in MS Contin reports?
drug dependence (51.8%), overdose (34.5%), pain (27.4%), emotional distress (26.8%) and death (25%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that MS Contin was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
98.7% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 42.4% of reports include death and 7.2% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
lawyer (76.8%), consumer or non-health professional (20.3%) and physician (1.2%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for MS Contin rising?
55 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, up 31% from 42 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that MS Contin was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of MS Contin?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists MS Contin as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (7,300) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.