Use case · Transdermal patch only · Educational · Updated October 2, 2026
How many MME is a fentanyl patch?
Direct answer
MME/day = patch strength in mcg/hr × 2.4. A 25 mcg/hr patch is 60 MME/day. A 50 mcg/hr patch is 120 MME/day. A 100 mcg/hr patch is 240 MME/day. That number describes exposure. It is not the dose to start when changing opioids.
Patch strength chart
| Patch | MME/day | CDC reference band |
|---|---|---|
| 12 mcg/hr | 28.8 | < 50 MME/day |
| 25 mcg/hr | 60 | 50–89 MME/day |
| 37.5 mcg/hr | 90 | 90–199 MME/day |
| 50 mcg/hr | 120 | 90–199 MME/day |
| 62.5 mcg/hr | 150 | 90–199 MME/day |
| 75 mcg/hr | 180 | 90–199 MME/day |
| 87.5 mcg/hr | 210 | ≥ 200 MME/day |
| 100 mcg/hr | 240 | ≥ 200 MME/day |
2.4 × mcg/hr is the same arithmetic as mcg/hr × 0.1 × 24. The oral-morphine milligrams with the same MME equal the MME number, because morphine’s factor is 1.
Why this is not a switching dose
A 50 mcg/hr patch is 120 MME/day, the same MME as 80 mg/day of oxycodone. Teaching references often discuss starting 25–50% below a calculated equivalent because cross-tolerance is incomplete (40–60 mg/day in that example). Those figures are not instructions to take a dose. Fentanyl patch changes follow the FDA package insert. Levels continue to fall for many hours after the patch comes off.
What this chart leaves out
- IV, epidural, buccal, and sublingual fentanyl are not in the CDC outpatient factor table.
- Buprenorphine, including Butrans, has no CDC MME factor and is not added to the total.
- Heat, fever, and heating pads increase patch absorption. The labeled mcg/hr assumes normal skin conditions.
- Suspected overdose: call 911 and give naloxone. This page does not replace a prescriber or the product label.
Use the calculator
Oral opioids and the factor table: how to calculate MME. Add a patch plus other opioids in the MME calculator.