New Education Series "Making Methadone Safe"

A new Education Series (Number 11) Making Methadone Safe has been developed to help patients -- both addiction treatment patients and pain patients -- keep their methadone safe.

Increase in Methadone Related Deaths by 390%

Methadone related deaths have increased dramatically, from 1999 through 2004 there was a 390 percent increase. Other deaths attributed to opioids have also increased but only by 90 percent, however they constitute a much larger percentage of the total for opioid-related deaths. A SAMHSA report found that the majority of methadone-related deaths involve abuses that were prescribed for pain management. Methadone deaths attributed to Opiate Treatment Programs (OTPs) have not increased.

Unfortunately it is the OTP deaths that make the news and methadone programs have particularily become targets because they are easy to blame.

It is important that all persons taking methadone keep there medication safe and this Education Series was developed to provide resources and ways to keep methadone safe.

You can download the new Education Series at our website.