The Relationship of Methadone Dose and Other Variables to Outcomes of Methadone Maintenance

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Abstract
The authors evaluated the relationship of methadone dose to retention in treatment and to urine tests for morphine and cocaine in a cohort of 610 opioid users admitted to methadone maintenance and followed for 1 year. Methadone dosing was flexible, with patient participation in dose decisions. The maximum dose during treatment ranged from 10 mg to 110 mg, with a mean of 52 mg. Higher doses were associated with increased retention through the dose range of 60 mg‐69 mg. Dose was not related to the likelihood of a positive morphine test but was related to the likelihood of a positive cocaine test. In this study, with flexible dosing and patient participation in dose decisions, patients were retained on methadone about as well as was reported in a previous study with patients on a fixed dose of 80 mg.

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