Retrospective analyses of additional services for methadone maintenance patients

We report on the 6-month outcome of a retrospective analysis of additional treatment services for patients entering a methadone maintenance program wh o transferred from community methadone treatment programs (n = 83) or enter ed off the street (n = 83) not currently on methadone. Patients were partic ipating in a clinical treatment trial examining the effectiveness of Commun ity Reinforcement Approach and Relapse Prevention. Patients in the methadon e transfer group were using less heroin at intake than patients newly initi ated onto methadone and both groups improved from additional treatment serv ices in the following problem areas specifically: drug, alcohol, legal, emp loyment, social, and in some measures of psychiatric distress. Therefore, b oth groups of patients in this study benefited from additional treatment se rvices. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.