Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Methadone induction doses: are our current practices safe?

Anita Srivastava1, Meldon Kahan

  • 1Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada.

Journal of Addictive Diseases
|September 8, 2006
PubMed
Summary

High death rates occur during methadone induction. New evidence-based dosing guidelines are proposed to improve safety and reduce fatalities associated with methadone treatment initiation.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Canadian Adaptive Platform Trial of Treatments for COVID in Community Settings (CanTreatCOVID): protocol for a randomised controlled adaptive platform trial of treatments for acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in community settings.

BMJ open·2025
Same author

Symptom-Triggered Alcohol Withdrawal Management Delivered Over Telemedicine.

Journal of addiction medicine·2025
Same author

Initiation of extended-release buprenorphine in emergency department patients: A retrospective cohort study.

The American journal of emergency medicine·2025
Same author

Nanofiltration-based purification process for whole-cell transformed prebiotic galactooligosaccharides.

Bioprocess and biosystems engineering·2025
Same author

Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinics for People With Problematic Opioid Use.

JAMA network open·2023
Same author

"Macrodosing" Sublingual Buprenorphine and Extended-release Buprenorphine in a Hospital Setting: 2 Case Reports.

Journal of addiction medicine·2023

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Public Health
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Methadone is a crucial medication for opioid use disorder treatment.
  • The induction phase of methadone treatment is associated with significant risks.
  • Existing prescribing guidelines may not adequately address induction-related mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review existing literature on methadone-related deaths.
  • To analyze data on fatalities during methadone induction.
  • To propose evidence-based methadone dosing guidelines for safer induction.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a comprehensive literature search focusing on overdose deaths during methadone induction.
  • Reviewed data from the Ontario coroner's office regarding methadone-attributed deaths.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examined international prescribing guidelines for methadone treatment.
  • Synthesized evidence to develop revised dosing recommendations.

    • Main Results:

    • Literature review indicated elevated mortality rates during methadone induction.
    • A majority of methadone overdose deaths involved diverted methadone.
    • Within treatment programs, most fatalities occurred during the initial dosing phase.
    • Current prescribing guidelines often do not reflect the high risks of induction.

    Conclusions:

    • There is a critical need for updated, safer prescribing guidelines for methadone induction.
    • Implementing evidence-based dosing strategies can mitigate risks.
    • Recommendations are provided to reduce deaths during the initiation of methadone therapy.