Do methadone treatment practices make a difference?
Helen J. Levine, PhD, Schneider Institute for Health Policy, Heller School, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, MS 035, Waltham, MA 02454, 781-736-3956, hjlevine@brandeis.edu Because methadone treatment can be a lifetime treatment and substitutes a long-acting opioid (methadone) for a short-acting opioid (heroin), it has been controversial since its inception in the mid-sixties. The degree to which methadone treatment is successful may depend on adequate dosage, sufficient time in treatment, and essential treatment and support services. However, effective treatment practices may be threatened by the stigmatization of methadone treatment. This paper assesses predictors of time in treatment for methadone clients. Using data from Phase II of the nationally representative 1997 Alcohol and Drug Services Study (ADSS), client records were abstracted for a sample of methadone clients discharged from treatment. Client demographic characteristics (age, race and ethnicity, gender, employment,
