Steady Increase In Methadone Related Deaths
Methadone is a drug used in the treatment of chronic pain and opiate addition. While it has been used with varying degrees of success since the 1950s, a recent Justice Dept. report has documented that deaths associated with its use have been increasing at an alarming rate in recent years. You can read the Methadone Diversion, Abuse, and Misuse: Deaths Increasing at Alarming Rate assessment here.
The National Drug Intelligence Center's assessment concluded that reports of methadone related poisonings increased more than 350% between 1999 and 2004, climbing from 786 reported deaths in 1999 to nearly 4000 in 2004. The report and other similar data indicate that these increases are not limited to this time frame, but rather have continued to rise.
The increase in documented adverse events parallel an increased use of the medication to treat conditions other than opiate addition, most notably chronic pain. In the wake of this disturbing trend, the FDA issued a public health advisory concerning methadone in November 2006 which noted that a dose of methadone can remain active in the body for as much as 59 hours and thus, may build up in the body and reach toxic levels. This fact, as well as the number of medications and substances which can negatively interact with methadone, and other similar factors can produce dire consequences if the medication is not administered properly and under close supervision.
Methadone and other opioid deaths, 1999-2004
