Is methadone maintenance really an effective treatment?
Outcome measures show that MMT dramatically decreases illicit drug use and after 3 months intravenous drug injection almost totally disappears. Mood, social and personal functioning improves after 3 month of constant observed self-administration of methadone medication. MMT decreases illicit opioid abuse, criminal and violent behavior and at a relatively reasonable cost. Methadone is a long-acting, synthetic and addictive narcotic. When administered on a daily basis, it effectively blocks the craving for opiates and negates the painful symptoms of opiate withdrawal. The effects of methadone last from 24 to 48 hours, about six times longer than heroin. Therefore, not only can methadone be administered once per day, but the client suffers little discomfort if forced to miss a daily dosage. Methadone stabilization generally occurs within two (2) months. Clients do not experience a “high” from a usual dosage of opiates due to the blockading effect of methadone. At this point in treatment c
