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Table 2 Perceptions and outcomes of patients on methadone maintenance treatment following a formulation change

From: Patient perspectives of methadone formulation change in British Columbia, Canada: outcomes of a provincial survey

 

N (%)

How heard about the change (n = 353)

 

 Health care provider or methadone pharmacist

258 (73.1)

 Non methadone service provider

33 (9.3)

 Family or friend

26 (7.4)

 Newspaper or poster

36 (10.2)

Of those with carries (n = 199)

 

 Does not store methadone in locked box

167 (83.9)

 Does store methadone in locked box

32 (16.1)

Splitting doses (n = 293)

 

 No change

269 (91.8)

 Started splitting

21 (7.2)

 Stopped splitting

3 (1.0)

Reason dose increased (n = 76)

 

 To avoid feeling dope sick

35 (46.1)

 To relieve pain

22 (28.9)

 To avoid using other opioids

19 (25.0)

Reason for supplementing (n = 178)

 

 To avoid feeling dope sick

92 (51.7)

 To relieve pain

86 (48.3)

Taste difference (n = 371)

 

 Same or better taste

71 (19.1)

 Worse taste

300 (80.9)

Dose changes (n = 320)

 

 Lowered or same dose

213 (66.6)

 Increased dose

107 (33.4)

Dope sick changes (n = 358)

 

 Same or less dope sick

156 (43.6)

 More dope sick

202 (56.4)

Pain changes (n = 358)

 

 Same or better pain

165 (46.1)

 Worse pain

193 (53.9)

Supplements with opioids (n = 360)

 

 No supplementing with opioids

179 (49.7)

 Yes supplementing with opioids

181 (50.3)