Methadone matters

By Nicholas Chadi and Paxton Bach, Public Health Post – March 7, 2019

More than 80% of Americans who qualify for life-saving medication treatment for opioid addiction do not actually receive it. Methadone maintenance therapy—which involves the daily use of a liquid or pill—is the oldest, most researched form of medication treatment for opioid addiction, and has been used in the US for fifty years, yet it remains prohibitively difficult to access, especially for those living in rural areas.

Many other developed countries have allowed community clinics and pharmacies to dispense methadone, but this is not usually an option in the US. In a recent article, we wrote with a group of addiction medicine providers from Canada and the US, we argue that it is time for the US to follow suit. Read more