Methadone supervised consumption

An issue which sometimes arises in practice, and can even be problematic enough to deter patients from switching from methadone to buprenorphine, is whether to apply the standard supervised consumption regime usually recommended when on a new... 

Methadone/buprenorphine script dose, prescriber, dispensing pharmacy, supervised consumption weaning off or continuing long-term ... 

This probably reflects a common range of methods in practice, although from our own experience I would add that it seems better not to allow too much (or any) prior discussion of forthcoming reductions in dosage, as many reasons tend to be given to avoid these Again as examined in Chapter 2 there is virtually no support for benzodiazepine maintenance as there is for that with methadone and buprenorphine, and almost certainly benzodiazepines are far more often diverted to others than the opioid substitutes whose consumption can be supervised, with in the worst cases the tablets representing little more than currency. 

---