Hazards of Process Regulations

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Abstract
ACCORDING TOWebster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, one definition of aguidelineis a "rope to aid a passer over a difficult point." For a person walking a treacherous path in the mountains, grasping a guideline is sensible if the rope is well anchored and leads in the right direction. As an administrative metaphor, the implication is that guidelines for methadone programs are designed to be helpful to physicians making clinical decisions under conditions of uncertainty. Ideally they would generalize the experience of the most successful practitioners and provide guidance in such matters as optimal dosage, expectation of the length of treatment, and indications for supplementary services. Regulationsare quite a different matter in both source and intent. As commands issued by an authority with power to punish, they are intended to deter wrongdoing and ensure conformity. Like speed limits, they are directed to a population of potential violators and

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