TY - JOUR KW - Adult KW - Ambulatory Care Facilities KW - Analgesics, Opioid/administration & dosage/adverse effects/therapeutic use KW - Cohort Studies KW - dosing KW - Drug Monitoring KW - Female KW - Germany KW - Heroin Dependence/physiopathology/rehabilitation KW - Humans KW - Longitudinal Studies KW - Maintenance Chemotherapy KW - Male KW - Methadone/administration & dosage/adverse effects/therapeutic use KW - Middle Aged KW - Opiate Substitution Treatment KW - opioid dependence KW - outcomes KW - Patient Compliance KW - Patient Dropouts KW - Prospective Studies KW - Psychiatric Status Rating Scales KW - Severity of Illness Index KW - Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/etiology/prevention & control KW - Substitution treatment AU - S. Walcher AU - J. Koc AU - V. Reichel AU - F. Schlote AU - U. Verthein AU - J. Reimer A1 - AB - BACKGROUND: Opioid maintenance treatment with methadone is regarded as gold standard in the therapy of opioid dependence. Identification of the 'right' methadone dose, however, remains challenging. We wanted to explore if the Opiate Dosage Adequacy Scale (ODAS) is a helpful instrument in methadone titration. METHODS: Within this 12-months prospective naturalistic cohort study patients in stable maintenance treatment with methadone (Eptadone(R)) were included. Sociodemographic and clinical data were gathered at baseline, and months 3, 6, and 12. At the same points in time, the instruments ODAS, European Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI), and Derogatis Interview for Sexual Functioning-Self Report (DISF-SR) were applied. RESULTS: Five hundred fifteen patients were enrolled, 129 patients prematurely terminated substitution treatment (treatment failure), in 108 patients substitution medication was changed, likely due to bitter taste of Eptadone(R). Complete longitudinal ODAS and EuropASI data sets were available for 229 patients. The frequency of adequate methadone doses (ODAS) increased (60.9 % at baseline, 85.3 % at month 12) as well as the average daily methadone dose (63.8 (+/-30.8) mg/day at baseline to 69.6 (+/-36.0) mg/day at month 12). Inadequacy of methadone dose was not associated with treatment failure (RR 1.019; CI 95 % 0.756-1.374). Addiction severity decreased statistically significantly. Compared to adequately dosed patients, inadequately dosed patients benefited more, in that they showed greater improvements in ODAS scores, had higher increases in methadone dose, and partially experienced more advanced sexual functioning. CONCLUSION: Application of ODAS was associated with improved methadone dose adequacy and addiction severity parameters as well as increased methadone doses. Its usefulness should be corroborated in a controlled trial. BT - BMC pharmacology & toxicology C5 - Opioids & Substance Use; Measures CY - England DO - 10.1186/s40360-016-0058-9 JF - BMC pharmacology & toxicology N2 - BACKGROUND: Opioid maintenance treatment with methadone is regarded as gold standard in the therapy of opioid dependence. Identification of the 'right' methadone dose, however, remains challenging. We wanted to explore if the Opiate Dosage Adequacy Scale (ODAS) is a helpful instrument in methadone titration. METHODS: Within this 12-months prospective naturalistic cohort study patients in stable maintenance treatment with methadone (Eptadone(R)) were included. Sociodemographic and clinical data were gathered at baseline, and months 3, 6, and 12. At the same points in time, the instruments ODAS, European Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI), and Derogatis Interview for Sexual Functioning-Self Report (DISF-SR) were applied. RESULTS: Five hundred fifteen patients were enrolled, 129 patients prematurely terminated substitution treatment (treatment failure), in 108 patients substitution medication was changed, likely due to bitter taste of Eptadone(R). Complete longitudinal ODAS and EuropASI data sets were available for 229 patients. The frequency of adequate methadone doses (ODAS) increased (60.9 % at baseline, 85.3 % at month 12) as well as the average daily methadone dose (63.8 (+/-30.8) mg/day at baseline to 69.6 (+/-36.0) mg/day at month 12). Inadequacy of methadone dose was not associated with treatment failure (RR 1.019; CI 95 % 0.756-1.374). Addiction severity decreased statistically significantly. Compared to adequately dosed patients, inadequately dosed patients benefited more, in that they showed greater improvements in ODAS scores, had higher increases in methadone dose, and partially experienced more advanced sexual functioning. CONCLUSION: Application of ODAS was associated with improved methadone dose adequacy and addiction severity parameters as well as increased methadone doses. Its usefulness should be corroborated in a controlled trial. PP - England PY - 2016 SN - 2050-6511; 2050-6511 SP - 15 T1 - The opiate dosage adequacy scale for identification of the right methadone dose--a prospective cohort study T2 - BMC pharmacology & toxicology TI - The opiate dosage adequacy scale for identification of the right methadone dose--a prospective cohort study U1 - Opioids & Substance Use; Measures U2 - 27052201 U3 - 10.1186/s40360-016-0058-9 VL - 17 VO - 2050-6511; 2050-6511 Y1 - 2016 ER -