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Ten Years of Methadone Maintenance Treatment: Some Clinical Observations

NCJ Number
159589
Journal
American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Volume: 4 Issue: 4 Dated: (1977) Pages: 543-553
Author(s)
P Cushman Jr
Date Published
1977
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A 10-year review of methadone maintenance for 547 patients admitted to a New York City clinic found that high retention rates, reduced but still high mortality rates, increased employment, and minor degrees of opiate abuse characterized those remaining in treatment.
Abstract
Treated patients appeared to evolve into a unique social and economic class, partly in the drug subculture and partly outside the drug world. Many depended on public assistance for living expenses, methadone treatment, and medical care. An interesting finding was their heavy demand for inpatient hospital care, often for drug-related reasons. A segment of New York City's drug addicts was sequestered in an open-ended treatment process with considerable benefits to themselves and to society. Only a small fraction appeared to gravitate toward full economic support, to discontinuation of methadone, and to an enduring drug-free state. Nonetheless, the clinic had an impressive holding power over subjects admitted for treatment, as reflected in higher net retention rates than those reported by other methadone maintenance treatment centers. The high retention rates resulted in prolonged patient-clinic interaction and provided many opportunities for medical and psychiatric care and for assistance in various economic and social matters. 14 references, 3 tables, and 2 figures