A methadone clinic also known as substance abuse treatment center is a medical facility that has been set up for the distribution of medication used to treat opiate addiction -historically and more commonly buprenorphine but increasingly methadone. This medication has been effective in reducing the symptoms of withdrawal from opiates. It is also effective in reducing the cravings for drugs and the number of times a person takes a drug each day. However because it is also highly addictive most of its users become addicted to it over a period of time and they usually need to be on it for many years before they are fully cured of their problem. Methadone clinics can offer a long term solution to opiate addicts helping them to overcome their addictions and live a comfortable life free from drugs.
Before a patient decides to go to a methadone clinic to receive treatment he or she will be asked about his or her family’s history of drug abuse and this information will be taken into account by the doctor or nurse treating the patient. A patient is generally required to take at least twenty milligrams of methadone every day. The doctor will determine if this level of dosage is enough to help the patient overcome his or her addiction. Methadone clinics often provide group counseling group therapy and individual counseling for their patients. In addition to providing counseling the clinic will also provide medications that can help a person overcome his or her addiction. These medications are called buprenorphine and naloxone. Naloxone is usually administered in combination with methadone to ensure that the patient can maintain an effective and complete withdrawal from the drug.
Methadone clinics have the same regulations as other outpatient facilities. Most of them have a waiting room where patients can meet with their physicians and see how they are progressing. They also have separate waiting rooms for their patients. Patients must be ready to be evaluated and they must be evaluated by a doctor or nurse at least twice a day before they can be given treatment. The doctors or nurses also ensure that the treatment given to the patient is appropriate to the patient’s specific situation. If the patient should be suffering from a mental disorder he or she is immediately hospitalized to ensure that he or she receives proper care.
