Each methadone program outlines important policies and procedures that their clients need to be familiar with as they enter methadone treatment. By necessity, methadone clinics operate with a considerable number of program rules pertaining to the clinic's operation and their clients' participation. These rules and procedures must be well-organized and readily available to all clients.
Most clinics publish a client handbook that is organized into topics & categories covering the essentials a client should know about program operation, client rights & privileges, important methadone cautions, advancing through the methadone treatment phase system, and numerous other issues.
If you are a new client, please do take time to review any orientation packet or program handbook that your methadone home clinic provides you. Becoming familiar with the procedures for each department (medical, clinical, billing) will help you become more comfortable with treatment and also reduce the chance of any future problems.
For example, new clients sometimes do not understand that arriving late (after dispensing has finished for the day) may likely result in not receiving one's methadone dose. This often results in feelings of worry and anxiety that can interfere with the rest of your day. So be sure to know when dispensing is over and don't wait until the last minute to arrive at your clinic for dosing.
Your counselor, or the dispensing nurse, should be able to get you a copy of the client handbook if you don't have it or have misplaced your original. Having a program handbook nearby is especially helpful when you are at home or don't have immediate access to program staff for answering sudden questions.
Follow
Admission to a methadone clinic is initially prompted by an individual's daily struggle with opioid withdrawal symptoms and the desire to avoid being sick. To address this problem, new clients arrive each day to receive their medication. The first 1 – 3 months are referred to as the induction period, and center around increasing a client's methadone dosage until the client's opioid withdrawal is effectively eliminated. Regular daily visits to the clinic are critical to this process.
