Methadone is a long-lasting synthetic opioid that is typically used to treat opiate addiction and chronic pain. It is most commonly used to treat addiction to heroin and may only be prescribed and dispensed for this reason by practitioners certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Any physician, however, may prescribe methadone for the treatment of chronic pain. The diversion and abuse of methadone is a growing problem in the United States. Emergency department data and mortality data provided by the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) and local law enforcement agencies reveal that emergency department mentions of methadone involvement increased from 3,832 in 1997 to 10,725 in 2001. Moreover, 65 percent of methadone-related emergencies involved other drugs or alcohol in 2001, resulting in potentially lethal drug combinations. The National Drug Intelligence Center National Drug Threat Survey 2003 indicated that almost 33 percent of all State and local law enforcement agencies reported that methadone was frequently diverted for illegal purposes in their areas. Finally, the outlook for methadone abuse is not good. As legitimate methadone treatment increases, so will the diversion and abuse of this drug. Greater supervision will be necessary for patients on methadone maintenance programs and the prescription of methadone for the treatment of chronic pain must be increasingly scrutinized. Sources