OBJECTIVES To describe and evaluate a pilot methadone maintenance program for heroin-dependent inmates of Las Malvinas men's prison in San Juan, Puerto Rico. METHODS Data from self-report of inmates' drug use before and during incarceration, attitudes about drug treatment in general and methadone maintenance in particular, and expectations about behaviors upon release from prison and from tes...

Many methadone maintenance clients are required to visit a clinic daily, so treatment attendance is essential for clients' compliance and treatment effectiveness. Using data derived from a unique survey, this study provides evidence of economic barriers to regular treatment attendance. Hypotheses tested are (1) higher personal costs reduce treatment attendance, and (2) willingness to pay (WTP) ...

BACKGROUND Concomitant cocaine use is a major problem in clinical practice in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) and may interfere with successful treatment. Data from European methadone populations is sparse. This register-based study sought to explore the association between prescribed methadone dose and concomitant cocaine and heroin use in the methadone population of Basel City. METHOD...

Once used only as third-line therapy in the management of chronic pain states, methadone is now being used as firstand second-line therapy. Most risks and the stigma associated with methadone use have been known for years. Only over the past decade or so have the unique pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic properties and methods for conversion from other opioids to methadone been established. Pertin...

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry quantitative method was developed to monitor concentrations of methadone and its metabolite 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP) in plasma and urine of patients. The developed method was simple, accurate and reproducible to quantify methadone and EDDP in plasma and urine samples in the concentration range of 15-1,000 and 50-2,000 ng/mL, r...

OBJECTIVES Methadone is a well-studied, safe, and effective medication when dispensed and consumed properly. However, a number of studies have identified elevated rates of overdose and death in patients being treated with methadone for either addiction or chronic pain. Among patients being treated with methadone in federally certified opioid treatment programs, deaths most often occur during th...

BACKGROUND Heroin-assisted treatment has been found to be effective for people with severe opioid dependence who are not interested in or do poorly on methadone maintenance. AIMS To study heroin-assisted treatment in people on methadone who continue intravenous heroin and in those who are heroin dependent but currently not in treatment. METHOD In an open-label multicentre randomised control...