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Abstract
The present study sought to compare, in a pre-post (AB) design, the efficacy of 2 contingency management programs utilizing take-home doses as reinforcers of abstinence for methadone maintenance patients. The baseline schedule (A) imposed more restrictions on availability of take-home doses than did the experimental schedule (B) which provided take-home doses for any patients who supplied negative urine toxicology specimens. Weekly urine toxicology profiles of patients (n = 96) were examined for 16 weeks under the baseline schedule and for 16 weeks during the experimental schedule. Mean number of consecutive weeks of negative specimens was 11.51 (sd = 4.68) during the baseline period and increased to 12.55 (sd = 4.44) during the experimental period 0 = 2.39, df=95, p <. 02). For subjects who could be expected to improve (i.e. those positive during the baseline period, n = 54, 56.3 %) percentage of total positive urines declined from the baseline (mean = 22.6 %, SD = 20.3) to the experimental period (mean = 17.0 %, SD = 19.9; p <. 008, Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test). These results support the idea that take-home doses serve as reinforcers of abstinence among methadone patients and that fewer restrictions on their availability make them even more effective.