Methadone on Demand as a Heroin Detoxification Procedure

Abstract

Detoxification procedures for heroin addiction have been, until now, physician-directed. Despite claims that this kind of withdrawal should minimize staff-patient conflicts, our experience has been exactly the opposite. We therefore instituted an addict-controlled detoxification program and tested it on 11 patients. Our findings indicate that addicts do not abuse such a program (they actually use Jess methadone), staff-patient and staff-staff interactions improve markedly, and the ability to observe the addict as an individual is facilitated.