Sections
Opioid Maintenance Treatment: Introduction | Opioid Dependence: Epidemiology and Natural History | Clinical Pharmacology of Methadone and LAAM | Medication Interactions | Rationale for Opioid Agonist Substitution Treatment
With Methadone | Safety and Toxicity | Effectiveness of Opioid Agonist Maintenance Treatment | Methadone Dose and Treatment Duration | Drug Counseling and Behavioral Components of Agonist Maintenance
Treatment | Co-Occurring Psychiatric Disorders | Co-Occurring Medical Disorders and Provision of Medical
Care | Pain Management During Opioid Agonist Maintenance
Treatment | Pregnancy and Opioid Dependence | Federal Rules Governing Opioid Agonist Maintenance
Treatment | Office-Based Opioid Agonist Maintenance Treatment | Methadone Maintenance Treatment in Prisons and Jails | Key Points | References | Suggested Reading
Excerpt
Opioid dependence (i.e., dependence on opiate
or opiate-like drugs) is a chronic and severe psychiatric disorder
associated with substantial risk of mortality, medical and other psychiatric
morbidity, and adverse social, vocational, familial, and legal consequences.
As with other chronic and severe medical or psychiatric disorders,
the goals of treatment are to prevent or reduce the adverse medical,
psychiatric, and other consequences of the disorder and to improve
the patient's functioning, quality of life, and overall
well-being.