CHANDIGARH: Punjab has introduced an internationally accepted drug de-addiction treatment known as Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) for people with severe opioid dependence. The introduction of methadone marks a significant step in the state’s treatment-focused approach to tackling drug addiction.
Conventional treatment has largely relied on Buprenorphine-based Opioid Substitution Therapy through the state’s more than 500 OOAT centres, which involves replacing harmful opioids with regulated medication to treat addiction, and abstinence-based rehabilitation. The introduction of MMT provides an additional treatment option for patients with long-term opioid dependence who have not responded adequately to existing therapies.
Six dedicated methadone clinics are now operational across Punjab at Government Medical College, Faridkot; Civil Hospital, Ludhiana; Government Medical College, Patiala; and district hospitals in Gurdaspur, Mohali and Jalandhar. The state also plans to establish six more MMT centres in the coming months, taking the total number of dedicated facilities to 12.
On this, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh said the expansion of methadone facilities is part of the state’s anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nashean Virudh, which places a strong emphasis on rehabilitation, particularly for people with opioid dependence who are at a high risk of relapse. “Methadone Maintenance Therapy, implemented in accordance with the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), provides an effective treatment option for people with long-term opioid dependence. The comprehensive approach would improve recovery outcomes and help patients successfully reintegrate with their families and society,” he added.
The newly established clinics will function as specialised outpatient facilities where patients will receive supervised methadone therapy along with psychological counselling, psychiatric consultation, relapse prevention services, family counselling and regular follow-up.
Patients will have to visit the clinic daily to receive their prescribed dose under medical supervision. The daily doses are administered under medical supervision to prevent misuse and ensure adherence to treatment.
What is Methadone Therapy?
Methadone is an evidence-based treatment for people with opioid use disorder, like those addicted to heroin. Methadone is included in the World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicines for treatment of opioid use disorders. It is prescribed and administered under the supervision of trained medical professionals as part of a comprehensive treatment programme.
Methadone works by binding with the same opioid receptors in the brain as heroin and other opioids. Depending on the prescribed dose, it controls cravings, prevents withdrawal symptoms, and produces opioid tolerance which stops one from getting an opioid-related ‘high’. This enables patients to stabilise their health and engage more effectively in treatment, work, and family life.
Over time, the methadone dose may be tapered based on clinical assessment and recovery goals. Since the patients ingest the medicine daily at a clinic under supervision, the risk of diversion or misuse of the dose is substantially low as compared to take-home prescriptions.
Because methadone is a long-acting medication, a single daily dose is usually sufficient to control withdrawal symptoms and cravings for approximately 24 hours, helping patients maintain stability throughout the day.
