Prescribing Methadone as an Analgesic
Authors: Richard C. Dart, George E. Woody, Herbert D. Kleber
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2005)

Letters18 October 2005Prescribing Methadone as an AnalgesicRichard C. Dart, MD, PhD, George E. Woody, MD, and Herbert D. Kleber, MDRichard C. Dart, MD, PhDFrom the Rocky Mountain Poison Center, Denver, CO 80204; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19106; and Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.Search for more papers by this author, George E. Woody, MDFrom the Rocky Mountain Poison Center, Denver, CO 80204; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19106; and Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.Search for more papers by this author, and Herbert D. Kleber, MDFrom the Rocky Mountain Poison Center, Denver, CO 80204; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19106; and Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-143-8-200510180-00028 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Internists are often involved in the care of patients with chronic pain. Increased awareness of the need for adequate pain relief, combined with concerns about the costs and the potential abuse of extended-release formulations of opioid analgesics, has led to markedly increased use of methadone as an analgesic. Methadone tablets, in contrast to the liquid formulation used for substance abuse, are primarily used to treat pain. Methadone tablet prescriptions in the United States increased from 437 030 in 2001 to 2 609 613 in 2004, while prescriptions of hydrocodone and oxycodone increased only slightly (1). Methadone's slow onset, its ability ...References1. IMS Health Inc. Xponent Database, in retail pharmacies and mail order, 2002-2004. Google Scholar2. Gutstein HB, Akil H. Opioid analgesics.. In: Hardman JG, Limbird LE, eds. Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2001:569-619. Google Scholar3. Grochow L, Sheidler V, Grossman S, Green L, Enterline J. Does intravenous methadone provide longer lasting analgesia than intravenous morphine? A randomized, double-blind study. Pain. 1989;38:151-7. [PMID: 2488674] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Nicholson AB. Methadone for cancer pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004 2 CD0039712005. Google Scholar5. Methadone-Associated Mortality: Report of a National Assessment. May 2003. SAMHSA publication no. 04-3904. Rockville, MD: Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2004:10. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From the Rocky Mountain Poison Center, Denver, CO 80204; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19106; and Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.Disclosures: Dr. Dart administers Denver Health's contract with Purdue Pharma to provide poison center surveillance data on the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs. He receives no additional direct or indirect remuneration for this work as an employee of Denver Health. Dr. Kleber is a consultant for Purdue Pharma and Abbott. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byLyophilized Kratom Tea as a Therapeutic Option for Opioid DependenceOpioids for Chronic Orofacial Pain with a Focus on Nonmalignant Chronic PainMechanisms of respiratory insufficiency induced by methadone overdose in ratsCharacteristics and comparative severity of respiratory response to toxic doses of fentanyl, methadone, morphine, and buprenorphine in ratsPharmacotherapy of Addictive DisordersA comparison of drug overdose deaths involving methadone and other opioid analgesics in West VirginiaMortality from opioid analgesics must not be ignoredSurveillance of Prescription Drug-Related Mortality Using Death Certificate DataAnalgesic Selection in Patients on Abstinence Therapies 18 October 2005Volume 143, Issue 8Page: 620KeywordsAnalgesicsDrugsMorphineOpioid addictionOpioidsOxycodonePatientsPrevention, policy, and public healthSubstance abuse ePublished: 18 October 2005 Issue Published: 18 October 2005 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2005 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...