Here is a list of resources for converting a patient from one or more opioid narcotic medications to another.
Importance of Percentage Reductions When Converting
- Because of varying metabolic rates with differing opioids, patients may be more “sensitive” to one narcotic medication over another. With this in mind, it is essential that you decrease the converted dosage by 25-50% and then titrate up if needed.
Online Converter/Calculator
http://globalrph.com/opioidconverter2.htm
- Simple online tool for converting from one or more opioids to another. Just input the patient’s daily opioid dose and then select what you would like to convert them over to.
- Example: Your patient is taking Norco 10/325 four times a day, but you want to switch them to an appropriate long-acting opiate (like Opana ER). Using the conversion tool, 40mg of daily PO hydrocodone is equivalent to 10-mg of daily PO oxymorphone (Opana or Opana ER) with a 25% reduction for safety. Since Opana ER is dosed as q12-hrs, the patient could be switched to Opana ER 5mg q12 hrs.
- This site also has a daily morphine dosage to Duragesic (transdermal fentanyl) conversion chart.
Android Apps – Opioid Conversion Tools
Mediquation Medical Calculator: $4.99 at the Google Play Store
- Simple convertor for calculating ONE opioid to another opioid.
- Not helpful if the patient is taking two different opioids and you want to switch to another different one.
- NO % reduction calculations available.
- NO oxymorphone (Opana) conversion choice.
Opioid Converter: Free at the Google Play Store
- One to one converter with a nice % reduction slider.
- Dose calculation based on the data from the above website (http://globalrph.com/opioidconverter2.htm)
Apple Apps – Opioid Conversion Tools
- I don’t have an iPhone, but I know they have some good conversion apps.
- Post the ones you like in the comments below.
