Methadone maintenance treatment experience in Macao--prospective follow-up for initial 4.5 years

The initiation of the first methadone maintenance treatment program (MMT) in Macao was founded in collaboration between MMT clinics in the USA and Israel. All patients admitted into treatment between October 2005 and October 2008 were prospectively followed through March 2010. Of the 163 patients, 81% were male, the mean age on admission was 39.5 (sd = 10.2). Seventy-three percent (n = 119) were hepatitis C sera positive, and 4.9% (n = 8) were HIV sera positive. One-year treatment retention rate was 59.5%, with 52.6% of the 95 patients who stayed in treatment having an opiate-negative urine test at the 10-month evaluation. Four and a half years of follow-up showed mean long-term retention (Kaplan Meier analyses) of 2.2 years. Higher methadone dose (> or = 80 mg/day) and hepatitis C sera positive status were predictors for longer treatment retention. This study describes an effective model of MMT that supports the expansion of addiction treatment in other countries.