Use of non-prescribed methadone and other illicit drugs during methadone maintenance treatment

Patterns of illicit and non-prescribed drug use among a cohort of 100 patie nts in methadone maintenance treatment were tracked over a 6-month period. While there were no statistically significant changes in alcohol or heroin use, there were significant increases in the frequency of crack cocaine and cannabis use. Use of non-prescribed methadone had also increased. Twenty-o ne percent reported non-prescribed methadone use at follow-up who had not d one so at the first interview, with increases also in the mean quantities u sed. Non-prescribed methadone use at the second interview Tvas strongly ass ociated with the amounts of both methadone and diazepam prescribed at each of the data collecting points.