Treatment for Heroin Addiction- Methadone

Question 1

What is methadone?

Answer 1

An opiate substitution treatment

Question 2

How many people is methadone prescribed to?

Answer 2

Prescribed to around 90% of heroin addicts in the UK

Government-backed legal drug

Question 3

How is methadone taken?

Answer 3

Taken orally in liquid form, rather than injected, as this is much safer for the drug user

Question 4

What does methadone do to the body?

Answer 4

Replaces heroin at the synapses which allows the drug user to function normally and reduces withdrawal symptoms

Doesn’t lead to the same ‘high’ associated with heroin use as it partially blocks the opiate rush experienced from injecting

Question 5

How long does methadone stay in the body?

Answer 5

Stays in the body for longer than heroin

Usually 24 hours; therefore one daily dose can avoid fluctuations experienced with heroin

Question 6

How is the dose of methadone given to an individual decided?

Answer 6

Decided for everyone by a medical professional

Can be harmful if too much is given at once, so doctor will start with low dose

May be increased over next few weeks so that it has a therapeutic effect

Question 7

What happens when a person has been stabilised on methadone?

Answer 7

The process of detoxification can start whereby the amount of methadone is reduced slowly

Question 8

What happens in terms of withdrawal symptoms when methadone detoxification starts?

Answer 8

There will be withdrawal symptoms when coming off methadone and doing this slowly can minimise or reduce almost entirely any negative symptoms withdrawal may bring

Question 9

What is the supporting evidence/strengths of methadone as a treatment for heroin addiction?

Answer 9

Amato et al (2005)

Powers and Anglin (1993)

Health benefits

Psychology in society

Nature-nurture debate

Question 10

What is the refuting evidence/weaknesses of methadone as a treatment for heroin addiction?

Answer 10

Hasan et al (2014)

Time-consuming

Ethical issues

Social control

Question 11

Why is Amato et al (2005) supporting evidence of methadone as a treatment for heroin addiction?

Answer 11

In a review of five meta-analysis summarising results from 52 studies and 12,075 opioid-dependent participants, Amato found that high doses of methadone were more effective as a treatment for heroin addiction than low doses; methadone detoxification treatment; no treatment and alternative therapies

Supports use of opiate substitution treatments for treating heroin addiction

Question 12

Why is Power and Anglin (1993) supporting evidence of methadone as a treatment for heroin addiction?

Answer 12

Power and Anglin conducted study of 933 heroin-dependent patients in methadone maintenance treatment programs

Found decreases in narcotic use, arrests, criminality and drug dealing

Converse was true of those patients who relapsed on the treatment program with diminished improvements in these areas

Question 13

Why is health benefits a strength of methadone as a treatment for heroin addiction?

Answer 13

Health benefits of opiate substitution treatment such as methadone are significant

Methadone manufactured by health professionals and doesn’t contain the fillers found in heroin which can damage health

Cost of methadone is significantly cheaper than heroin and because it’s prescribed the patient doesn’t have the anxiety associated with finding next dose of drug

Question 14

Why is psychology in society a strength of methadone as a treatment for heroin addiction?

Answer 14

Understanding important of methadone treatment leads to greater knowledge in terms of helping addicts to recover

e.g. methadone is swallowed so no risk of catching blood-borne viruses such as HIV due to sharing needles

Furthermore, methadone can improve quality of life for addicts and other members of society because crimes such as prostitution and theft are reduced and so too are associated risks

Question 15

Why is nature-nurture a strength of methadone as a treatment for heroin addiction?

Answer 15

Main strength of opiate substitution treatments like methadone is that it can help address some of the social influences of drugs, including reducing the need for a person to approach a drug dealer and their exposure to drugs

Furthermore, if a person isn’t spending time with other people who share drug-taking attitudes this can have positive effect on external influences

Question 16

Why is Hasan et al (2014) refuting evidence of methadone as a treatment for heroin addiction?

Answer 16

Hasan found that combining opiate substitution treatments with psychosocial support increases likelihood that a person will not return to drug use

Can be argued that psychological treatment allows the person to address underlying motivation for drug use which methadone alone doesn’t tackle

Question 17

Why is time-consuming a weakness of methadone as a treatment for heroin addiction?

Answer 17

Opiate substitution treatments can take months and therefore require a person to continue to engage with the programme for a long period of time

If individual chooses not to carry on with treatment, it makes it likely that they will return to drugs as they will still have feelings of dependency and addiction

Question 18

Why is ethical issues a weakness of methadone as a treatment for heroin addiction?

Answer 18

Some argue methadone is simply replacing one drug with another, without addressing the reasons why the person started using heroin in the first place

This can leave people vulnerable to start using drugs again, if reason for initial use isn’t addressed in addition to physical addiction

Question 19

Why is social control a weakness of methadone as a treatment for heroin addiction?

Answer 19

May be issues of social control surrounding the inappropriate prescribing of medication

Most GPs prescribe methadone as a routine treatment for heroin addicts, but may not be the best choice

Addict may be perceived as having a choice about taking their methadone, but is unlikely to go against their GPs advice