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Methadone Maintenance Therapy ( Mmt )

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Introduction Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) is used with opioid dependency and is an opioid replacement therapy. MMT typically replaces heroin with Methadone which is a cleaner substance than heroin, and is used to avoid withdrawal and allow the user to function normally within society. MMT has been around for the last 50 years, and research studies have been conducted to address the benefits and the complications associated with this replacement therapy. This paper will examine some of the advantages and disadvantages associated with MMT and reflect on personal ideals in accordance with MMT.
History of Methadone Maintenance Methadone Maintenance Therapy was first developed in the 1960s by Dole and Nyswander (Latowsky, 2006). MMT …show more content…

Not only is the user reducing their risks of overdose with heroin and methadone, they are also reducing their use of other substances. This allows the user to become more of a functioning member of society, due to their decreased activities with other substances. Since Methadone is still an opioid, many people are still overdosing while using Methadone. However, those who are overdosing from Methadone are not in a Methadone Maintenance program, but casual users are accessing and using Methadone, just as similar as a heroin user accessing and using heroin (Gagajewski & Apple, 2003). Methadone is a prescription drug that can be easily bought on the streets and can be fatal when not taken correctly. Thus, many people are overdosing on Methadone, but are not in the MMT. Therefore, drug users not in treatment have a higher mortality rate than those in a MMT program (Caplehorn, Dalton, Haldar, Petnrenas, & Nisbet, 1996). Overall, Methadone programs save lives in the long-term view. Another advantage of MMT is that the program inhibits the spread of HIV and hepatitis among those who use the method of injecting their substances (National Institutes of Health, 1998). The Dole and Nyswander model is not the only opioid replacement therapy being utilized and studied. The standard Dole and Nyswander MMT

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