Methadone is a drug that reduces withdrawal symptoms. It reduces the craving for drugs without the imitating the sense of euphoria that follows drug abuse. Hence, it is prescribed to patients to treat or stop narcotic addiction (mainly people addicted to heroin). Methadone is also a painkiller, it can be given to treat pain that’s moderate to severe especially within the elderly. However, Methadone itself can be addictive and thus when prescribed, according to the Royal College of General Practitioners methadone doses “should be supervised through induction and until stability is achieved.” (RCGP Pg. 5) [1] A pharmacist must also ensure that the patient takes the drug responsibly in front of them, however, when necessary, supervision can be
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It is a fat-soluble drug which, after oral administration is rapidly absorbed and because of this, time to peak concentration varies from one to five hours. The drug utilises its activity by binding to and activating μ opioid receptors centrally and in the periphery. This produces the effects common to all μ opioid agonists, such as analgesia, euphoria, constipation, sedation and respiratory depression. Additionally, “methadone antagonises N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, which may increase its effectiveness in the treatment of neuropathic pain compared with other opioids”. …show more content…
The drug was first introduced in the US in 1947 and was advertised as a ‘pain-relieving medicine’ that could be used to treat a variety of conditions, this soon lead to people believing that the drug was used to treat narcotic addiction. However, the dramatic increase and spread of diseases from these addicts meant that Researchers at the Rockefeller Foundation had to “develop a system of dosing heroin addicts with methadone to prevent their use of heroin.”[4] Therefore, once these addicts stop relying on taking heroin they would stop committing crimes to get the money to afford the drug. Thus, crime levels are reduced. It wasn’t until the 1960s that scientific advancements began to be made with methadone. In the early 1970s, methadone treatments began to expand and the government set in place regulations that would govern the use of the drug for addiction
It is a fat-soluble drug which, after oral administration is rapidly absorbed and because of this, time to peak concentration varies from one to five hours. The drug utilises its activity by binding to and activating μ opioid receptors centrally and in the periphery. This produces the effects common to all μ opioid agonists, such as analgesia, euphoria, constipation, sedation and respiratory depression. Additionally, “methadone antagonises N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, which may increase its effectiveness in the treatment of neuropathic pain compared with other opioids”. …show more content…
The drug was first introduced in the US in 1947 and was advertised as a ‘pain-relieving medicine’ that could be used to treat a variety of conditions, this soon lead to people believing that the drug was used to treat narcotic addiction. However, the dramatic increase and spread of diseases from these addicts meant that Researchers at the Rockefeller Foundation had to “develop a system of dosing heroin addicts with methadone to prevent their use of heroin.”[4] Therefore, once these addicts stop relying on taking heroin they would stop committing crimes to get the money to afford the drug. Thus, crime levels are reduced. It wasn’t until the 1960s that scientific advancements began to be made with methadone. In the early 1970s, methadone treatments began to expand and the government set in place regulations that would govern the use of the drug for addiction