The Ability to Remain Abstinent Upon Leaving Methadone Maintenance: A Prospective Study

Abstract

Methadone maintenance is now an established modality in the management of heroin dependency. The ability of persons detoxified from methadone to remain opiate free has not been clearly defined. Of 490 consecutive admissions to a methadone maintenance program, 198 were subsequently detoxified. Follow-up on 168 persons (85%) was obtained for periods of up to 47 months. At the conclusion of the study, only 34 (17%) of those detoxified who were located were drug free. This represents 7% of the entire group of 490 persons admitted to the program. When ability to remain abstinent was correlated with reason for detoxification, 61% of those persons who the staff felt had received the maximum benefits of methadone maintenance were able to remain abstinent (p < 0.005). These findings suggest that although it is possible to progress from methadone maintenance to abstinence, many persons will be unable to maintain