Underdosing of methadone still a concern in OTPs, new national data indicate

Abstract

A significant proportion of methadone patients still are not receiving daily dosing levels that conform to evidence‐based standards of practice, according to data in a new study published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. The study's lead researcher, who has looked at this topic over a span of nearly 30 years, believes that even within the nation's opioid treatment programs (OTPs), stigma among some professionals toward use of medication‐assisted treatment (MAT) contributes to dosing that may prove too low to encourage treatment retention and reduce illicit drug use.