The Problem with Methadone Distribution

Information on the programs, clinics, and the lack of accountability in the

industry.
There are different methods used to end individual drug abuse, and one of these ways is
through methadone clinics. Methadone clinics replace the abused drug with a legal
prescribed drug called methadone. Individuals that are hooked on opiates, such as heroin,
come to methadone clinics to be weaned off these drugs by replacing them with a monitored
narcotic given by the government; methadone. These drug users go in for urine tests twice
a week, and to start out they are USUALLY given 15 mls to subdue the extreme withdrawal
from opiate drugs.
But, this has created a larger problem than the original drug abuse, and has only made
these patients lives much worse.
Whats The Problem?
Many people come into the methadone clinics that are addicted to more than one
drug. A patient addicted to both cocaine and heroin can come into the methadone
clinic and receive treatment for their heroin addiction by receiving free methadone.
This helps them put more money towards their cocaine addiction. So, often the
clinics are really just giving out government narcotics so that drug users can put
more money towards other addictions.
If other narcotics are found in the urine tests, the patient is made to take their
prescription at the clinic in front of a doctor. This is an attempt at making methadone
clinics more responsible in their dealing, but this isn't really a consequence for taking
other narcotics. The patient can take their methadone, go home and do all their
other drugs, and a doctor will still treat them.
The clinics require patients to come and pick up their medication daily, as well as
coming in for urine tests twice a week, and for clinical visits with the doctor once a
week. People trying to recover cannot even hold down jobs because they are at the
methadone clinics so often.
Owners, founders, and doctors working at these methadone clinics have discovered
that the methadone industry is bringing in a lot of money. The patients are not
charged for their visits, but in Ontario, OHIP is billed. Last year, OHIP was billed $107
million dollars for methadone treatment programs just in the GTA. But, in order to
keep making this amount of money, the methadone clinics need patients. When a
patient is experiencing withdrawal symptoms, the doctors increase the dosage of
methadone. This dosage of methadone keeps increasing, and though the clinics plan
to treat users for up to a year, some people are hooked on methadone for up to 13
years.
So, doctors are keeping patients hooked on methadone for years, and this is bringing in a
massive amount of money for them. Even if patients want their dosage to be lowered, the
doctor will sometimes refuse. Not every doctor will do this, but many have in the past. No
doctor should ever refuse this request, especially since this is such an influential decision on
the patients life, and since it is a major narcotic decision.
This issue is important to address because people's lives are at stake. How can these users
live a happy, normal life when the doctors are keeping them on this drug for so long? This
isn't helping them recover from their addiction, it's making it worse. The people most
affected by this issue are the narcotic users and their families, and they can't do anything
about it unless everyone knows what's going on. Also, the community is affected by this
problem, because when a person is extremely high on narcotics, than it can be potentially
hazardous for people who come into contact with the drug user. Many people that are

prescribed methadone in clinics are often on an extreme high from the medication.
Methadone clinics are run for the sole purpose of helping people with opiate addictions
break their addiction and get back on their feet. The problem is, drug users who have
switched from opiates to methadone are on methadone for years- sometimes even decades.
By keeping people on the methadone, clinics are bringing in millions of dollars every year
from Ontario's healthcare system. Also, patients of methadone clinics are required to visit
the clinic every day, often more than once a day. These people cannot even hold down jobs
or stay in school because they are at the methadone clinics so often. This is not helping
them get back onto their feet; in fact, methadone clinics are dragging people farther down.
The great idea of helping people who are enslaved to a life of addiction by reducing the
element of harm, and by weaning them off ALL drugs has been twisted into a business
where people are kept on something extremely harmful for a long period of time. There
have been few approaches to this issue because people are so uneducated about the
subject, and many do not even know that there is an existing problem with the
accountability of doctors. All that's been done is a few scattered people speaking out against
this issue, but that is not enough because nothing has been changed. An example of
someone speaking out against this issue is Dr. Phillip Berger, who had his opinion about the
operation of methadone clinics published in the Toronto Star.
"In the end, until methadone is normalized, taken out of the CPSO's hands and accorded to
the same status as other equally dangerous narcotic medications, the province will be
paying millions for questionable services, and communities will be upset when methadone
clinics move into their neighborhoods."
-Dr. Phillip Berger
Published in the Toronto Star
What is the best way and the ONLY way to solve this problem?
The only way is through education of people.
People need to know what is really going on in these clinics! There is no way the overseers
will continue to let doctors give patients high dosages of methadone for prolonged amounts
of time if we let them know that we know what they are doing.
This is

what needs to be enforced upon the methadone clinics:

to employ doctors with more accountability in the clinics
to enforce stronger guidelines for the system
to put a cap on the dosages that can be given to a patient
to put a cap on the number of visits to the clinic weekly
provision of aftercare for methadone withdrawal

THE FULL INTERVIEW

-Fiona MacDonald
*Answers were originally in point form and then changed into full answers. No
information has been omitted or changed regardless.
Q: Do you know how many methadone clinics are in Windsor and where they are located?
A: There are two methadone clinics in Windsor. One is on Lincoln St. and the other on Erie
St.
Q: Can you explain what methadone clinics do?

A: Individuals that are hooked on opiates are weaned off these drugs with a monitored
narcotic given by the government. These methadone clinics were made to enforce harm
reduction, which would be like giving out clean needles to opiate users, or in this case,
monitoring narcotics used by individuals. People find it controversial because it is feeding
the problem when its helping individuals before they can step into abstinence. This is the
go between- the all or nothing.
So, individuals go in to methadone clinics, and they are urine tested twice a week.
Methadone is highly lethal, and they are usually given 15mLs to start. When they
experience extreme withdrawal from opiates, their methadone dosage is increased to
prevent further withdrawal symptoms. If urine tests fail and other narcotics are found, than
the individual cannot take the dosage home. Even if no narcotics are found, patients must
go in every day to receive medication.
Q: Approximately how long do these clinics say a patient will be on methadone for? How
long are the patients actually on methadone for?
A: The original intent was a few months to a year t take the user off of an illegal lifestyle.
Some patients are on methadone for a long time. The longest Ive heard is 13 years. Really,
it is just a government funded addiction when they are on methadone for this long.
Q: Do you think that the patients who are on methadone for ten or more years could be
weaned off of the drug sooner while still maintaining their health?
A: Yes, there is no doubt the patients could be weaned off much sooner.
Q: Methadone clinics have their patients come in numerous times during the week for their
medication, but also for urine tests. Do you think that this many urine tests are necessary
for the recovery of the patient, or is this just another way for the clinics to make extra
money?
A: The urine tests are an attempt at making methadone clinics responsible, but this many
tests are not affective. Its just a way to make it seem safer. People cannot even hold down
jobs because of the number of visits to the clinic, and there are no real consequences for
using outside of the clinic. People on methadone go to the pharmacy every day, plus
multiple clinic visits and urine tests.
Q: If a patient were to ask if their dosage of methadone could be lowered, do you think the
doctor would comply or refuse?
A: This depends on the doctor and the patient. If history repeats itself and the patient is
using outside of the clinic, than the doctor can raise the dosage. But, the doctor should
never refuse this request. Especially since this is a narcotic decision. Not every doctor
refuses, but many have in the past.
Q: Do you think it is important to expose what these clinics are doing, such as keeping
patients on methadone, to the public?
A: It is defiantly important to expose this issue. It is even more important to expose certain
doctors. Society tends to turn a blind eye to addictions except when it involves crime
against them. Society has to know what is going on.
Q: What could be done to change the operation of methadone clinics to make them better?
A: The theory is great if you take away profit. What we really need is more accountability for
doctors, stronger guidelines, caps on dosages, set time lengths and provision of withdrawal
from methadone itself. So many people on methadone are way too high, and they sit in
front of the doctors like this and the doctors continue to prescribe them this much
methadone.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add involving this subject?

A: Im not against the methadone program itself, but I believe it has led to legal drug
dealing.

ATTEMPTING TO FIND MORE INFORMATION

I made a phone call to the St. Clair Methadone Treatment Program on Erie St. in Windsor,
ON, and after being redirected multiple times, I was able to talk to a nurse on the phone.
After explaining that I was researching the operation of methadone clinics in Windsor, I
asked if I would be able to speak to a doctor at any time to ask some questions.
I was immediately told that I would not be allowed to speak to a doctor. Ever. They did not
allow people to ask their doctors questions in person or over phone unless they were part of
the program.
I then asked her if I could ask her the questions. I figured that since she was a nurse, she
would know at least some answers.
I was denied with no explanation, but told I would be redirected to a receptionist.
I was then told that the receptionist was on break and would not speak to me until her break
was overin an hour.
Since I was getting nowhere with them, I asked for the name of their website and ended the
call.
Should methadone clinics deny people access to information on their program? Shouldnt
doctors be able to answer questions that will in no way break any security policy for the
benefit of the person on the other end of the line?
Access to information should be open and easily accessible to people interested in the
program, and since the website gives little to no information, people should be allowed to
ask personal questions about their own addiction and the program over the phone, and they
should have the opportunity to consult one of the methadone doctors/specialists before
beginning the program.