OBJECTIVES: Three draft measures have been proposed by the Pharmacy Quality Alliance’s Medication Safe Use Workgroup to examine the quality of opioid use related to the dose of the medications over time, access to the medications and the combination of both of these criteria. The purpose of this study was to conduct a sensitivity analysis so as to identify the appropriate thresholds that should be utilized in the numerator of these preliminary measures. METHODS: Medicaid fee-for-service beneficiaries aged ≥18 years, with continuous 12 month enrollment, and two or more prescription claims for opioids that total ≥15 days supply on at least two separate days during 2012 were identified in the Mississippi Medicaid administrative claims data. Representative opioids comprised of those included in the ‘CDC Injury Center Morphine Milligram Equivalent (MME) Table.’ Morphine Equivalent Dose (MED) was calculated using the following formula: (Submitted Quantity*Strength*MME Conversion Factor)/Days Supply. Unique prescribers and pharmacies were identified by their national provider identifier number.  RESULTS: The sample (10,297 beneficiaries) was predominantly female (73.0%), Caucasian (52.2%), and had an average age of 44.33 years. 2.6% (6.3%) and 1.9% (5.3%) of the beneficiaries received prescriptions for opioids >100mg MED and >120mg MED respectively, for ≥90 consecutive (non-consecutive) days. 21.9% (5.9%) of the beneficiaries received prescriptions for opioids from ≥4 prescribers OR (AND) ≥4 pharmacies. 0.34% (0.11%) and 1.25% (0.42%) beneficiaries received prescriptions for opioids >120mg MED for ≥90 consecutive and nonconsecutive days respectively, and from ≥4 prescribers OR (AND) ≥4 pharmacies. CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity analysis revealed data for critical decision points for the PQA Workgroup. Health plans that are considering the adoption of similar measures, in order to plan their respective interventions, will benefit from seeing the breakdown.