Opioid Dose Adjustment Calculation

A nurse is evaluating the effectiveness of a pain management regimen for a patient receiving an opioid analgesic. The patient reports a pain level of 8 out of 10 on a standard pain scale. The healthcare provider orders a dose adjustment for their current regimen. The nurse knows that for a patient on chronic opioid therapy, the recommended conversion factor for patients requiring a dose adjustment is typically between 25% to 50% of the current total daily dose. If the patient's current total daily dose is 120 mg of morphine, calculate the safe range for the new daily dose. The nurse should fill in the blank with the percentage of the current dose if it is necessary to adjust the medication dosage.