title: Methadone Medical Maintenance: An Early 21st-Century Perspective.
abstract: Methadone medical maintenance is the treatment of stable methadone-maintained patients in primary care physicians' offices under an exemption from federal methadone regulations. Reports from seven such programs in six states show high retention and low frequencies of illicit drug use. Patients and physicians indicate high levels of satisfaction. Although methadone maintenance has a long history of safety and efficacy, most methadone medical maintenance programs are no longer operating or accepting new patients. Federal regulations for standard methadone clinics allow some features of methadone medical maintenance, and advocacy for state approval of these changes is strongly recommended.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Novick
authors.forename: Edwin A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Salsitz
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: Mary Jeanne
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kreek
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000379:methods*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D008691:Methadone
keywords: Review; addiction; buprenorphine; heroin; methadone; opioid; pharmacotherapy; primary care