You asked for it....CDC information on Methadone

Good morning I thought I would give you some information from the CDC-Center for disease control and prevention

- In 2006 FDA issued a public health advisory regarding health risk associated with prescribing methadone.

- Methadone accounted for 1% of all opioids prescribed for pain but accounted for approximately 23% of all prescription opioid deaths in 2014.

- Drug overdose deaths involving methadone peaked from 2006 to 2007, declined 39% by 2014 but despite this decline methadone continues to account for nearly 1 in for prescription opioid related deaths.   

- Options for reducing future opioid morbidity and mortality include implementing multiple drug utilization management policies that are consistent with PDL practices and the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain (10), which recommends that methadone should not be the first choice for an extended-release/long acting opioid.

- methadone has its own category when the CDC center looks at deaths and non-fatal overdoses.

CDC’s Injury Center looks at deaths and nonfatal overdoses for four categories of opioids:

Natural opioids (including morphine and codeine) and semi-synthetic opioids(drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, and oxymorphone)
Methadone, a synthetic opioid
Synthetic opioids other than methadone (drugs like tramadol and fentanyl)
Heroin, an illicit (illegally made) opioid synthesized from morphine that can be a white or brown powder, or a black sticky substance.