TY  - JOUR
T1  - MOderate- vs high-dose methadone for opioid dependence—reply
AU  - Strain EC, Bigelow GE, Liebson IA, Stitzer ML
Y1  - 1999/12/08
N1  - 10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-282-22-jbk1208
JO  - JAMA
SP  - 2121
EP  - 2123
VL  - 282
IS  - 22
N2  - 
In Reply: Dr Grabowski and colleagues point
out that their work has shown how the required frequency of clinic visits
for methadone treatment can affect retention, while methadone dose influences
rates of illicit opioid use.1 Methadone
regulations require patients to attend clinics on a daily basis initially,
and months or even years can elapse as patients gradually earn the right to
attend on a less frequent basis. Their work suggests these attendance requirements
may increase attrition from methadone treatment programs. This is an important
point that needs to be considered as federal agencies work to revise current
methadone regulations. It is also worth noting that some forms of insurance
reimburse daily treatment delivered on-site but do not provide reimbursement
for take-home doses of methadone. This can be another factor influencing the
current practices of methadone clinics.

SN  - 0098-7484
M3  - doi: 10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-282-22-jbk1208
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-282-22-jbk1208
ER  -