FAQ

It would be hard or impossible for us to monitor if the fentnayl, dilaudid, oxycontin, or other opioid is being taken according to its prescription or if it’s being diverted, abused, and/or supplemented from an illicit source. So the answer is that carries could not be issued if you are getting opioids from another doctor on a long-term basis (more than 2-3 weeks).

The very rare exceptions are if the patient has been very stable in the past with methadone without problematic drug use, and if more than one doctor including a specialist have documented the exact pain diagnosis and the long term need for the other opioid, and this after other treatments have failed. Even in such cases, the other opioid would have to be prescribed in stable, low to moderate doses, and dispensed in a controlled way which would include take home doses in sequence with methadone carries and observed dosing of the other opioid for the days methadone is taken observed.

Yes. You can an appointment by contacting one of our locations near you. However remember that you can be registered in only one methadone clinic at a time. We can help you with the paperwork associated with this process.

1. Their lives have been stabilized after they’ve been on methadone maintenance treatment and have shown abstinence from drug use for more than a year.
2. The decision to stop taking methadone is made with their doctor, who gradually decreases the dose while providing support. The rate of decrease may be different depending on each patient’s needs and preferance, but is generally no faster than 5-10% once a week.
3. They’ve made changes in their lives that show they’re stable. For example, they may have a stable family life, support from the non-drug-using community, steady satisfying employment and fewer financial or legal difficulties.

The answer is generally yes. However a doctor’s consultation would be necessary to determine this for certain. Please make an appointment at one of our locations.

Yes.   You can make an appointment to be seen by a physician at one of our clinics to determine this.

The answer is generally yes or maybe. It would depend upon a full evaluation by our physician including a review of the previous clinic’s documents and pharmacy records. Our doctor may also need to speak to your previous doctor.

Furthermore, if there has been an interruption of more than 3 days of dosing, and/or if there has been relapse to drug abuse, no carries are issued upon transfer.

If you are covered by OHIP, then your clinic visits with the physician will be fully paid for.

The methadone itself which is dispensed at a pharmacy like other medications, will be paid for if you are covered by a private plan, ODSP, Ontario Works, or another form of coverage (a co-pay may apply). If you don’t have any coverage and you don’t qualify for any government plan, then your pharmacy can explain to you the costs.

If you are covered by OHIP, then your clinic visits with the physician will be fully paid for.

The Suboxone itself which is dispensed at a pharmacy like other medications, is usually covered by most private medication plans. You should consult with your pharmacist about your particular private plan.

Subxone may be covered by government plans such as Ontario Drug Benefits (ODB) if certain medical criteria are met. Your physician would be able to explain these.

Benzodiazepines such as valium, clonazepam, lorazepam, etc have a dangerous interaction with methadone in causing overdose and death. This makes carries more dangerous. For this reason, strict criteria have to be met before carries are issued even if the benzodiazepines are prescribed. Some of these criteria are that the dose of the benzodiapeine be low to moderate, and that they be dispensed in limited supplies. The full extent of these criteria can be discussed with your doctor.

It is very important to discuss with your methadone doctor before your family doctor or other doctor starts you on benzodiazepines or any medications that relax you or help sleep. It is also important that you disclose with all your physicians and pharmacists that you are on methadone so as not to take any other medications that may interact with methadone.

There is no right answer.  Each medication may be more suited for certain group of patients. There are many medical and social factors that may suggest one of these medication may be more appropriate for a particular patient. In addition, there is the issue of patient preference which would play an important role in the decision over which medication to use.

A full medical evaluation and consultation with a physician would be needed to decide upon whether any or either of these medications should be used for the problem of opioid abuse or addiction.  You can make an appointment here.

Methadone and suboxone are long-acting medications. This means that it takes 3-4 days for a new dose to reach a stable level in one’s blood. If one skips a dose, this level can be disturbed for the next 2-3 days. An unstable dosing schedule and the resulting unstable blood level of medication can cause the patient to feel anxious, agitated, and to have cravings for other opioids.

If you miss more than one dose, this could affect the program itself. By regulation, if you miss 2 days in a row in the first 2 weeks of the program, the entire prescription will be canceled by your pharmacist and you will need to restart the program by seeing your physician again. After the first 2 weeks of the program, it will be 3 missed days in a row that will cause your prescription to be canceled, thus necessitating an assessment by your physician to restart the program.