Drug (United States brand name) | Approximate equivalent doses* | Sample initial dose (opioid naïve)¶ | Serum half-life (hours) | Duration of effect (hours) | Comments |
Oral immediate-release preparations | |||||
Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) | 7.5 mg | 1 to 2 mg orally every 3 to 4 hours | 2 to 3 | 3 to 6 |
|
Morphine | 30 mg | 15 to 30 mg orally every 4 hours | 2 to 3 | 3 to 6 |
|
Oxycodone (Oxy-IR, Roxicodone) | 20 mg | 5 to 15 mg orally every 4 to 6 hours | 2 to 3 | 3 to 6 |
|
Oxymorphone (Opana) | 10 to 15 mg | 5 to 10 mg orally every 4 to 6 hours | 7 to 9 | 3 to 6 |
|
Parenteral preparations | |||||
Fentanyl (Sublimaze) | 0.1 mg (100 mcg) | 25 to 50 mcg IV or SQ every 1 to 2 hours | 7 to 12 | 0.5 to 1 (IV) 1 to 2 (SQ) |
|
Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) | 1.5 mg IV/SQ | 0.2 to 0.4 mg IV/SQ every 2 to 4 hours | 2 to 3 | 3 to 4 |
|
Morphine (Infumorph, others) | 10 mg IV/SQ | 2 to 5 mg IV every 2 to 4 hours 2 to 5 mg SQ every 3 to 4 hours | 2 to 3 | 3 to 4 |
|
Oxymorphone (Opana) | 1 mg IV/SQ | 0.5 mg IV every 4 to 6 hours 0.5 to 1.5 mg SQ every 4 to 6 hours | 7 to 9 | 3 to 6 |