Opiate

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For other uses see Opiate (disambiguation), or for the class of drugs see Opioid.

In medicine, the term opiate describes any of the narcotic alkaloids found in opium (q.v.).

[edit] Overview

The main opiates derived from opium are morphine, codeine, and thebaine, and diacetylmorphine (heroin). Papaverine and noscapine are also present, but have essentially no effect on the central nervous system, and are not usually placed in the same category as the others. Papaveretum is a standardised preparation of mixed opium alkaloids used on cardiac patients. Heroin is not generally used therapeutically and is illegal to produce, sell, or possess in many parts of the world because of its high potential for abuse.

[edit] Terminology

Opiate has traditionally referred to not only the alkaloids in opium, but also natural and semi-synthetic derivatives of morphine (itself an opiate). The term is often incorrectly used to refer to all drugs with opium- or morphine-like pharmacological action, which are more properly classified under the broader term opioid (q.v.).