Dm. Novick et al., THE MEDICAL STATUS OF METHADONE-MAINTENANCE PATIENTS IN TREATMENT FOR11-18 YEARS, Drug and alcohol dependence, 33(3), 1993, pp. 235-245
To assess the safety and potential health consequences of long-term me
thadone maintenance treatment, we identified 111 male patients admitte
d to methadone maintenance treatment between 1965 and 1968, still enro
lled in 1980 and in continuous treatment for at least 10 years. We wer
e able, between 1980 and 1985, to examine patients or review records o
f 110 patients (99%). Most medical diagnoses, symptomatic complaints,
physical examination findings and laboratory test results occurred wit
h similar frequency in the long-term methadone maintenance patients an
d in a group of 56 long-term heroin addicts. These data suggest that p
rolonged methadone maintenance treatment is safe and is not associated
with unexpected adverse effects.