A Brief History of Methadone

The use of methadone to treat opioid addiction was pioneered in the early 1960's by two New York physicians, Dr. Vincent Dole, an expert with metabolic disorders, and his colleague, Dr. Marie Nyswander, a practicing psychiatrist with extensive expertise in opioid addiction. At the time, heroin-related mortality was the leading cause of death in 15 to 35 year olds. The only available treatment was detoxification which was resulting in ineffective outcomes, with 90% or more of opioid detoxification treatments ending in relapse.

Dole and Nyswander theorized that by controlling drug craving through medically supervised opioid replacement, rehabilitation of lifestyle might also be possible. Their work, and that of researchers over more than three decades, produced dramatic outcomes, showing that when methadone is taken daily at adequate doses that are individually based, patients and their families get their lives back - often for the first time in decades.

What is Methadone?

Methadone is an opioid agonist medication and is the most widely studied medication and treatment for the disease of opioid addiction. It has special qualities that make it very useful as a medication for treating opioid addiction if taken every day - called a "maintenance dose". Methadone is recognized by the American Medical Association, which affirmed "the proven public health and patient health benefits of methadone maintenance and other similar opioid replacement programs in reducing the use of heroin." ¹

Methadone is taken orally and is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, appearing in plasma within 30 minutes of being ingested. Medical personnel supervise treatment and nurses administer the medication to patients, most typically on a daily regimen until the individual is stabilized. Once stabilized, then the truly active ingredient of treatment - counseling and other therapeutic interventions - becomes most effective.

When Methadone is part of a recovery program offering other supportive services, it helps restore natural brain function and natural brain chemistry. Methadone blocks the euphoric effects of opioids, meaning it does not make the person feel "drugged" or "high", relieves physiological cravings and normalizes body functions.

How Widespread is the Problem of Opioid Abuse and Dependence?

Startling, reliable studies indicate that as many as one in ten adults is drug or alcohol dependent. To support this statement, think through your own family tree, and you are likely to recall the uncle, the cousin, the grandparent, the parent, the child. Chemical dependency touches the lives of virtually every family.it's close to home.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy estimates 980,000 hardcore heroin users. According to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 3.7 million Americans ages 12 and older reported trying heroin at least once during their lifetime, 66,000 individuals tried heroin for the first time in 2002. The survey also shows that 1.4 million Americans abuse or are dependent upon pain relievers and that 580,000 people used pain relievers non-medically for the first time in 2002.

Although chemical dependency is on the rise, evidence from around the country suggests that a significant percentage of patients in medication assisted treatment are not being treated for heroin use, but rather for prescription opioid dependence. For example, an opioid treatment program in Southwest Virginia reported that 80% of the people in outpatient treatment with methadone named OxyContin ® as their primary drug of abuse.

Methadone Assisted Treatment and Accreditation

Opioid treatment programs are accredited, just like the process required for other health care facilities. Accreditation demands a higher standard of care for people receiving treatment for addiction, by shifting the responsibility for treatment decisions in determining appropriate individualized treatment from regulators to clinicians. This ensures that patients are appropriately assessed and matched to the right treatment, that treatment is individualized, and that the need for ongoing care is professionally assessed and monitored for quality.

¹ The American Medical Association, "Reduction of the Medical and Public Health Consequences of Drug Abuse: Update" Adopted as AMA policy, 1999 AMA Annual Meeting.