NCJ Number
221498
Date Published
November 2007
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This assessment report analyzes increases in methadone diversion, abuse, and misuse that have occurred since 1999 and the increased fatality results.
Abstract
Pain management physicians and general practitioners will continue to prescribe methadone to patients suffering from acute or chronic pain because it is one of the less costly opioid pain medications, has a longer duration of action than many others prescription opioids, and is effective. However, practitioners should become better educated on the dangers of prescribing methadone. Public health officials should respond to the increase in methadone diversion and poisoning deaths by establishing prevention programs targeting those most at risk of misusing, abusing, becoming addicted, or overdosing on methadone. Law enforcement’s targeting of theft of wholesale and midlevel quantities of methadone will decrease the amount of diverted methadone available at the midlevel and retail level. If methadone misuse and abuse is not curbed, opioid abuse is likely to increase. From 1999 through 2006, the number of methadone-related deaths increased significantly with most attributed to the abuse of methadone diverted from hospitals, pharmacies, practitioners, and pain management physicians. The most recent data available indicates that methadone poisoning deaths increased 390 percent from 1999 through 2004. This assessment analyzes increases in methadone diversion, abuse, and misuse from 1999 to 2006 and efforts undertaken by physicians, public health officials, and law enforcement to aid in decreasing death rates from the diversion, abuse, and misuse of methadone. Figures, tables, list of sources