An investigation of methadone-related mortalities: A report from southeast of Iran

Methadone is increasingly being used as a pharmacological agent in treating opioid use disorder (OUD). However, reports of illicit overuse of methadone have resulted in fatal consequences, mainly in those under methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Considering the high prevalence of opioid addiction in Kerman, the present study was conducted to investigate methadone-related deaths in this province.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on mortality cases caused by methadone use referred to the Forensic Medicine Organization of the Kerman Province in 2020 and 2021. The demographic data as well as concurrent abused substances were extracted from records.

A total of 370 methadone-related deaths were registered, of which 45.7 percent were related to 2020, and 54.3 percent were related to 2021. Most cases had been referred to Kerman (65.9 percent), Sirjan (16.8 percent), Rafsanjan (6.2 percent), and Zarand (3.2 percent) forensic medicine centers. Of the deceased, 75.9 percent were men. The average age of the deceased was 33.37 ± 12.83 years, ranging from 6 days to 72 years. The majority of the cases had low levels of education. In 4.1 percent of the cases, simultaneous use of methadone and tramadol was reported, while 7.6 percent of the cases had simultaneous use of stimulants/hallucinogens, and 3.6 percent had simultaneous use of alcohol.

Taken together, considering the high frequency of methadone-related deaths in the Kerman Province as well as the low level of socio-economic status in the deceased, designing interventions to enhance the awareness of addicts, especially those who are undergoing MMT programs, could potentially reduce the incidence of methadone poisoning.