Is methadone an addiction

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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28

As the first government-approved medication therapy for opiate addiction treatment, methadone has a 50-plus year track record as an effective opiate addiction treatment. According to the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, methadone, a synthetic opiate drug, works well at relieving the cravings and withdrawal effects experienced in recovery. In effect, methadone acts as a replacement therapy for addictive opiates.As far as who can prescribe methadone goes, federal regulations assign strict guidelines for prescribing and dispensing purposes when used in the treatment of opiate addiction. However, methadone’s use in treating pain-related conditions carries fewer restrictions.Get help finding treatment. Call 800-678-5931(Paid Advertiser) toll-free anytime. The Narcotic Addiction Treatment ActMethadone can be obtained at specialized clinics.Regulations dictating who can prescribe methadone were enacted through the passing of the Narcotic Addiction Treatment Act of 1974 and the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000. According to the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration, these laws lay out the guidelines for the approval process and licensing requirements for physicians and clinics who can prescribe methadone as an opiate addiction treatment.Physicians seeking to administer and dispense Schedule II controlled substances, such as methadone must be registered through the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Narcotic Treatment Program. Registration allows treatment providers to administer methadone for detoxification and maintenance treatment purposes.Methadone Regulatory ControlsMethadone exists as one of the most tightly regulated prescription-based drugs on the market. Considering methadone has essentially set the standard as far as opiate addiction medication therapies go, federal and state laws help to prevent the abuse of this drug. In effect, regulatory controls regarding who can prescribe methadone were put in place to reduce illegal administering and dispensing of the drug.Regulatory controls also provide standard treatment protocols for administering methadone. Standard treatment protocols include:Initial dosing proceduresDosage amountsDrug testing schedulesRules for take-home prescriptionsMedical Maintenance ProgramsTraditional clinics

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