Policy Changes and the Methadone Maintenance Treatment System for Opioid Dependence in Ontario, 1996 to 2001

Background. Until recently, the availability of methadone treatment in Ontario, Canada was limited. In 1996, policy changes Methods. For these census data, descriptive statistics were used to examine changes in the patient and provider populations over time using data from the College of Physicians...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of addictive diseases 2005-01, Vol.24 (1), p.39-51
Main Authors: Strike, Carol J., Urbanoski, Karen, Fischer, Benedikt, Marsh, David C., Millson, Margaret
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
addiction
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Drug addictions
Female
Health Policy
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Medical sciences
Mental Health Services - utilization
Methadone
Methadone - therapeutic use
Narcotics - therapeutic use
Ontario
Opioid-Related Disorders - rehabilitation
Registries - statistics & numerical data
Substance abuse treatment
Toxicology
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Summary:Background. Until recently, the availability of methadone treatment in Ontario, Canada was limited. In 1996, policy changes Methods. For these census data, descriptive statistics were used to examine changes in the patient and provider populations over time using data from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario Methadone Maintenance Registry of Patients and the Registry of Methadone Prescribing Physicians. Results. Between 1996 and 2001, the total number of clients in treatment increased substantially from: 1595 to 7787. Over this time period, the number of physicians prescribing methadone increased from 60 to 161. Interpretation. Policy changes resulted in substantial increases in the patient and provider populations across Ontario. However, the estimated low proportion of opiate users in treatment indicates that more efforts are needed to address the potential demand for treatment.
ISSN:1055-0887
1545-0848
DOI:10.1300/J069v24n01_04