Pharmacy

Drug Concentration Converter

Convert pharmaceutical concentrations between mg/mL, percent (%), mcg/mL, g/dL, and ratio (1:X) instantly. All units update simultaneously. Includes common clinical presets for local anaesthetics, adrenaline, and IV solutions.

5 concentration units All units simultaneously Bidirectional
Concentration Converter
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Select units and enter a value above.

All units at once:

mg/mL-
% (w/v)-
mcg/mL-
g/dL-
Ratio (1:X)-

Clinical presets - click to load:

Adrenaline 1:10001 mg/mL
Adrenaline 1:100000.1 mg/mL
Lignocaine 1%10 mg/mL
Lignocaine 2%20 mg/mL
Bupivacaine 0.5%5 mg/mL
Bupivacaine 0.25%2.5 mg/mL
Normal saline 0.9%9 mg/mL NaCl
Dextrose 5%50 mg/mL glucose
Morphine 50 mg/mL5% solution
KCl 10%100 mg/mL

Pharmaceutical concentration units

Drug concentrations in clinical practice get expressed in at least 5 different ways, often on the same drug label. Getting these wrong is a serious patient safety risk, particularly for high-alert drugs like adrenaline, local anaesthetics, and concentrated electrolytes.

Conversion reference

UnitDefinitionConversion to mg/mL
mg/mLMilligrams per millilitre× 1 (base unit)
% (w/v)Grams per 100 mL× 10 (e.g. 1% = 10 mg/mL)
mcg/mLMicrograms per millilitre÷ 1000
g/dLGrams per decilitre (= per 100 mL)× 10 (same as %)
Ratio 1:X1 gram in X mL1000 ÷ X (e.g. 1:1000 = 1 mg/mL)

The adrenaline example

Adrenaline 1:1000 = 1 mg/mL. Adrenaline 1:10,000 = 0.1 mg/mL. The 1:10,000 concentration is used for IV cardiac arrest; the 1:1000 for IM anaphylaxis. Giving 1:1000 IV instead of 1:10,000 delivers 10x the intended dose. This error has caused cardiac arrests. See Resuscitation Council UK guidance on adrenaline administration. The ratio notation exists precisely because these concentrations were established before mg/mL labelling was standard.

Related tools

For IV infusion rate from a concentration, see IV Drip Rate Calculator. For weight-based dosing, see Weight-Based Dose Calculator. For volume unit conversion, see Volume Converter. For lab value unit conversion, see Lab Values Converter.

Safety note: Always verify drug concentrations against the physical label before preparing or administering. Concentration errors with high-alert medications (adrenaline, concentrated electrolytes, insulin) are immediately life-threatening.