Are there any data on how often clinicians use methadone in palliative medicine today?
In a study of opioid prescribing at MD Anderson Cancer Center, we found that the number of outpatient methadone prescriptions increased 12-fold over a 3 year period. In the UK, 89% of palliative medicine physicians surveyed reported using methadone for pain management [see abstract]. However, worldwide, the clinical use of methadone as an analgesic remains very limited. Q: What are the barriers to using methadone for pain management? A: There are three major barriers to the use of methadone as an opioid analgesic. The first barrier is that many clinicians do not really understand the pharmacokinetics of this drug and are confused about dosage. Indeed, prescribing methadone requires more care and attention than prescribing morphine and a good understanding of its properties is required for safe use. However, with proper education and tools, such as conversion protocols [see conversion protocols], clinicians can use methadone successfully for pain management. Q: What is the second barrie
