OBJECTIVE To examine the population-wide overdose risk emerging from the prescription of methadone and buprenorphine for opioid substitution treatment in England and Wales. DESIGN Retrospective administrative data study. SETTING National databases for England and Wales. PARTICIPANTS/CASES Drug-related mortality data were drawn from the Office for National Statistics, and prescription data...

Abstract Background: Methadone maintenance therapy is a treatment of choice for opiate addiction. Understanding opiate dependents’ experiences of patients' treatment is a key to continue the treatment and can provide help to revise the standards of methadone centers and improve the quality of treatment. This study aimed to describe the essence and structure of opiate dependents’ e...

BACKGROUND Retention in Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) is superior to that of other therapies for opioid addiction, but with international retention rates around 50 % after 1 year of treatment, there remains a need for improved retention rates. AIMS This study aimed to explore the demographic and clinical factors predicting retention in MMT. METHODS Face-to-face surveys with MMT pati...

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of pancreatic islets and destruction of beta cells by the immune system. Opioids have been shown to modulate a number of immune functions, including T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 2 (Th2) cytokines. The immunosuppressive effect of long-term administration of opioids has been demonstrated both in animal models and humans. The ...

We examine the impact of transfers between methadone treatment prescribing physicians on 1-year retention. Episode data (n=13,359; 1996 to 2001) drawn from a Canadian population-based methadone registry were analysed using a binary logistic regression model. The odds ratios for remaining in treatment for 365 days or more decreased for repeated episodes of treatment, but increased with age and n...

results the mean qtc at baseline (pre-methadone) was 426 ± 34 msec and after being on methadone for an average of 8.72 ± 4.50 years was significantly higher at 450 ± 35 msec. no significant relationships were found between qtc prolongation and risk factors except for calcium. the methadone dosage was significantly higher in veterans with a qtc change above the mean change of ≥ 24 msec (88.48 ± ...

OBJECTIVES To assess the quality of life (QoL) of heroin users starting and following 4 and 8 months of maintenance treatment program using buprenorphine vs. methadone. METHODS Participants received maintenance treatment with oral methadone or sublingual buprenorphine for the treatment of heroin dependence. Participants' QoL was measured using the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Qu...

BACKGROUND Genetic variability in ABCB1, encoding the P-glycoprotein efflux transporter, has been linked to altered methadone maintenance treatment dose requirements. However, subsequent studies have indicated that additional environmental or genetic factors may confound ABCB1 pharmacogenetics in different methadone maintenance treatment settings. There is evidence that genetic variability in O...

In recent years, remarkable advances in sensitive analytical techniques have enabled the analysis of drugs in unconventional samples, such as sweat. In a study conducted during a methadone maintenance program, PharmChek sweat patches were applied to 20 subjects. The subjects were orally administered methadone in 1 dosage/day, and doses ranged from 80 to 100 mg. The sweat patch was applied 10 mi...