MME Calculator (Morphine Milligram Equivalents)
Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) provide a standardized way to compare the potency of different opioid medications. Select your opioid, dose, and frequency to calculate your daily MME and see how it compares to CDC prescribing thresholds.
MME converts any opioid dose into an equivalent amount of oral morphine using published conversion factors. For example, 10 mg of oxycodone is equivalent to 15 MME (conversion factor: 1.5), while 10 mg of hydromorphone equals 40 MME (conversion factor: 4).
The CDC's 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids identifies key MME thresholds:
- Below 50 MME/day: Standard prescribing range for most patients
- 50-89 MME/day: Increased risk; reassess benefits vs. harms
- 90+ MME/day: Substantially higher overdose risk; avoid or carefully justify
Research shows that patients receiving 90+ MME/day have a 2-9x higher risk of opioid overdose compared to those receiving less than 20 MME/day.
Conversion factors used here follow the CDC's published table. Methadone is unique because its conversion factor increases at higher doses due to its long and variable half-life. Fentanyl patches use mcg/hr as the unit since they deliver medication continuously through the skin.
IMPORTANT: This calculator is for educational reference only. Opioid dose conversions should never be used for direct clinical dose changes without professional oversight. Incomplete cross-tolerance means that switching between opioids typically requires reducing the calculated equianalgesic dose by 25-50%. Always consult a healthcare provider or clinical pharmacist for opioid prescribing decisions.