Patients in methadone maintenance treatment who inject methadone syrup: a preliminary study

An increased awareness of the injection of methadone syrup has been appreci ated by methadone treatment clinicians and Needle Exchange outlets which di stribute large-volume syringes. This study aimed to identify patterns of us e by methadone injectors, and the reasons and perceived risks of this behav iour. Nineteen of 36 attendees at a needle exchange who stated they had inj ected methadone over the previous 3 months completed a structured interview . Results found a majority were methadone clinic patients. Forty-two percen t injected three times a week or more. This practice continued in 58%, desp ite reported difficult venous access. Subjects' concerns included accelerat ing vein damage and possible toxicity of syrup additives. Reasons for injec ting included immediate drug effect (80%) and 'needle-fixation' (47%). It i s concluded that methadone clinic staff need to be aware of such patients w ho may require additional treatment approaches, and that methadone formulat ions should minimize harmful consequences if injected.