Methadone Maintenance Treatment: Recommendations for Enhancing Pharmacy Services

The problem of opioid addiction is growing in Ontario, primarily associated with the use of pharmaceutical products rather than heroin. For many Ontarians struggling with opioid dependence, methadone maintenance is an effective treatment that could save their lives. However, methadone has a unique pharmacological profile that requires specialized knowledge and procedures to ensure its safe use. Pharmacists are at the front-line of ensuring clients’ safe and effective use of methadone. This guide complements CAMH’s comprehensive best-practice manual for pharmacists, Methadone Maintenance: A Pharmacist’s Guide to Treatment, a required resource for all pharmacies dispensing methadone in Ontario. This new book addresses issues beyond best practice by the individual pharmacist, making a series of recommendations related to interprofessional collaboration, the pharmacy environment, education programs, accessibility of services and research needs.

As the most accessible member of the treatment team, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to make a difference in the care of MMT clients. This book envisions ways in which professional organizations, educators, policy makers, and researchers, among others, may support individual pharmacists working in a variety of practice settings in enhancing the care they provide through MMT pharmacy services.