Methadone: what is it?
Methadone belongs to the group of drugs known as opioids. Opioids are drugs (naturally occurring and synthetic) with chemical structures and actions similar to morphine.
One subgroup of opioids is the family of opiates, which includes pain-relieving drugs such as codeine, morphine and heroin. Opioids are classed as depressant drugs as they work by slowing down the functions of the central nervous system. Alcohol, cannabis and benzodiazepines (including Valium and Serepax) are examples of other depressant drugs.
Methadone is synthetically manufactured and used as a substitute for the treatment of people dependent on heroin and other opioids. Its effects are much longer lasting than heroin, a single dose being effective for approximately 24 hours. The effects of heroin may last only for a couple of hours. In a treatment programme, methadone is usually given out in syrup form and drunk with cordial or fruit juice.
Generally, there are 2 types of methadone programmes.
- A maintenance or long-term programme, which may last for months or years, and aims to reduce the harms associated with drug use and improve quality of life.
- A withdrawal (short-term) detoxification programme, which lasts approximately 5-14 days and aims to ease the discomfort of coming off heroin.
A person can become a client on methadone treatment only after being assessed by a doctor who is an approved methadone prescriber. Generally, the client should be 18 years of age or over and be physically dependent on opiates. The doctor's assessment takes into account other characteristics such as alcohol or other drug use and psychological health.
For more information, please click on the link below to the Australian Drug Foundation's DrugInfo Clearinghouse web site.
Last Reviewed: 20 September 2006
