METHADONE TREATMENT OF OPIATE-DEPENDENT PATIENTS - 1ST RESULTS OF A PROSPECTIVE CLINICAL-STUDY

We report on the clinical experience so far gathered in the course of a prospective study of 23 patients. Inclusion and exclusion criteria, details of the performance and the significance of psychosocial attendance are presented and exemplified by 5 case reports. We come to the conclusion that, by means of methadone replacement therapy, only some of the opiate-dependent patients achieve the objective of social, mental and physical stabilisation. Some of them, however, will also become entirely "clean". The successful performance of replacement therapy depends on strict adherence to defined inclusion and exclusion criteria and on tightly meshed psychosocial care.