calculate_mme: Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) Calculator

In cliot: Clinical Indices and Outcomes Tools

Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) Calculator

Description

Calculates the total daily Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) for a patient taking one or more opioid medications. The conversion factors are based on the 2016 CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. This metric helps clinicians assess the cumulative potency of an opioid regimen to mitigate overdose risk.

Usage

calculate_mme(codeine_mg_day = 0, fentanyl_transdermal_mcg_hr = 0,
              hydrocodone_mg_day = 0, hydromorphone_mg_day = 0,
              methadone_mg_day = 0, morphine_mg_day = 0,
              oxycodone_mg_day = 0, oxymorphone_mg_day = 0,
              tapentadol_mg_day = 0, tramadol_mg_day = 0)

Arguments

codeine_mg_day	Numeric. Total daily dose of Codeine in mg.
fentanyl_transdermal_mcg_hr	Numeric. Dose of transdermal Fentanyl patch in mcg/hr.
hydrocodone_mg_day	Numeric. Total daily dose of Hydrocodone in mg.
hydromorphone_mg_day	Numeric. Total daily dose of Hydromorphone in mg.
methadone_mg_day	Numeric. Total daily dose of Methadone in mg. (Conversion factor varies by dose).
morphine_mg_day	Numeric. Total daily dose of Morphine in mg.
oxycodone_mg_day	Numeric. Total daily dose of Oxycodone in mg.
oxymorphone_mg_day	Numeric. Total daily dose of Oxymorphone in mg.
tapentadol_mg_day	Numeric. Total daily dose of Tapentadol in mg.
tramadol_mg_day	Numeric. Total daily dose of Tramadol in mg.

Value

A list containing:

Total_MME_Day	The calculated total Morphine Milligram Equivalents per day.
Risk_Interpretation	Clinical guidance based on CDC risk thresholds (<50, 50-90, >=90 MME/day).

References

Dowell D, Haegerich TM, Chou R. CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain — United States, 2016. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2016;65(1):1–49. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr6501e1

Examples

# Example 1: Mixed Regimen
# 30mg Oxycodone BID (60mg/day), 10mg Methadone daily
# Oxy: 60 * 1.5 = 90. Methadone: 10 * 4 = 40. Total = 130 MME.
calculate_mme(oxycodone_mg_day = 60, methadone_mg_day = 10)

# Example 2: Fentanyl Patch
# 25 mcg/hr patch
# MME = 25 * 2.4 = 60 MME.
calculate_mme(fentanyl_transdermal_mcg_hr = 25)

cliot documentation built on Dec. 1, 2025, 1:06 a.m.