Treatment outcome unaffected by initiation of full weekend closure of methadone maintenance treatment clinic.
After changing the weekend closure of our methadone maintenance clinic from 1 to 2 days, we compared patients' retention in treatment, discount payment privileges, take-home doses, and rate of drugs in urine tests during the 6 months before and after the change. No differences were found in the 6-month retention rate (94.6% and 95.4%, respectively), take-home dose privileges (60.9% and 58%, respectively), or the rate of urines positive to all substance abuse. Expanding closure of the clinic for a 2-day weekend had no adverse effect on treatment parameters, suggesting that a methadone maintenance clinic may keep the same hours as other hospital's outpatient clinics.
a Dr. Miriam & Sheldon G. Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse Treatment & Research, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center & Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel Aviv University , Israel.
Einat
E
Peles
Shaul
S
Schreiber
Miriam
M
Adelson
D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D005260:Female; D006271:Health Facility Closure; D006693:Holidays; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D009294:Narcotics; D008691:Methadone
Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT); schedule of operating an MMT clinic; take-home dose privileges