methadone / Generic mfg. - LARVOL DELTA

Memory function in patients with opioid dependence treated with buprenorphine and methadone in comparison with healthy persons. (PubMed, Sci Rep) - "In some aspects, treated patients even outperformed controls. Buprenorphine preserves memory function better than methadone over time."

Journal • Addiction (Opioid and Alcohol) • CNS Disorders • Psychiatry

Methadone Serum Concentration Monitoring in Palliative Care Patients with Cancer-Induced Bone Pain: A Short Communication. (PubMed, Ther Drug Monit) - "The reported methadone concentration required for therapeutic benefit was significantly lower than that reported previously. The study highlights that further appropriately powered studies are required to establish the role of routine trough methadone monitoring in patients newly rotated for the management of refractory cancer pain."

Journal • Addiction (Opioid and Alcohol) • Musculoskeletal Pain • Oncology • Pain • Palliative care

Utilizing Theory of Planned Behaviour to increase intention to participate in hepatitis C treatment therapy among Methadone maintenance therapy clients (MMT) in Malaysia: A cluster randomised control trial. (PubMed, PLoS One) - "HEAL module which utilizes motion video and group discussion was effective in increasing MMT client's intention for hepatitis C treatment and knowledge about hepatitis C. However, future research should focus on finding effective strategies to ensure retention of the outcomes of HEAL module intervention over time."

Clinical • Journal • Hepatitis C • Infectious Disease • Inflammation

Factors Associated with Positive Toxicology at Delivery: Insights From the University of Maryland Medical System. (PubMed, Matern Child Health J) - "Substance use during pregnancy exhibits sociodemographic variations. Initial unadjusted findings indicated racial disparities in substance use. However, adjusted models shifted these initial observations. Findings highlight the intertwined nature of sociodemographic factors in toxicology test results. Study findings underscore the need for comprehensive research to inform interventions, focusing on racial and socioeconomic inequities."

Journal

Rapid Titration of Methadone for Opioid Use Disorder in the Emergency Department: A Case Report. (PubMed, Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med) - "The protocol allowed for safe, individualized care, achieving therapeutic dosing levels that alleviated withdrawal symptoms and enabled the patient to transition to outpatient follow-up treatment. This approach addresses the need for rapid, effective methadone initiation in an era in which high-potency synthetic opioids pose challenges to traditional opioid use disorder treatment."

Journal • Addiction (Opioid and Alcohol) • Substance Abuse

Trace analysis of basic drugs in micro-volume human plasma samples using a simple device combined with a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. (PubMed, Anal Methods) - "The extraction efficiency achieved during sample stirring was nearly double that observed in the static solution, and the relative standard deviation (RSD%) remained below 6.1%, as determined through three replicate measurements. The limits of detection were 0.012, 0.04, and 0.06 μg mL-1 for pethidine, tramadol, and methadone, respectively."

Journal

Opioid quantification via microsampling techniques to assess opioid use in human laboratory studies. (PubMed, Sci Rep) - "Our method, applied in a clinical trial with patients with opioid use disorder (N = 20) receiving intranasal oxytocin, or placebo, for one week in addition to opioid agonist therapy (buprenorphine or methadone). We quantified six different opioids, undetected by urine strip tests, that were used by patients during the treatment phase. Our high-throughput, automated approach surpasses existing methods in literature, enhancing efficiency in multi-matrix studies."

Journal • Substance Abuse

Infant Death due to Cannabis Ingestion. (PubMed, Drug Test Anal) - "Hair analysis showed tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabinol, methadone and metabolites, cocaine and metabolites, ketamine, morphine, 6-monoacetylmorphine, and fentanyl. In most cases, these are adults suffering from preexisting conditions, whereas data on younger individuals are still scarce. In this paper, the case of a child who died from acute intoxication due to ingestion of hashish is presented."

Journal • Pulmonary Disease

Growth patterns in children with prenatal methadone or buprenorphine exposure. (PubMed, Pediatr Res) - No abstract available

Journal

Nerve transection with muscle embedding during mastectomy: a novel surgical technique to decrease postoperative mastectomy pain syndrome. (ASBrS 2025) - "Risk factors for chronic postoperative pain included preoperative use of opioids or methadone (3), personal history of IV drug abuse (1), anxiety (14), depression (8), other psychiatric history (4)... Nerve transection with muscle embedding during mastectomy is a novel technique that was performed successfully in this patient cohort with good postoperative pain outcomes. Additional data is still needed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of the treatment and compare it to alternative surgical techniques."

CNS Disorders • Depression • Infectious Disease • Musculoskeletal Pain • Neuralgia • Oncology • Pain • Psychiatry

Staffing Resource Use: A Cost Impact Model for the Utilization and Implementation of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Within US Jails And Prisons (ISPOR 2025) - " A cost impact model was developed to simulate staff time needed to administer MOUD (methadone, oral buprenorphine, BUP-XR [weekly/monthly injectables], and extended-release naltrexone) within carceral settings... OUD poses a significant burden to carceral systems. Staffing time and costs related to daily medication administration and observation can be reduced with BUP-XR."

Addiction (Opioid and Alcohol) • Substance Abuse

Characterizing substance users and risk profiles across treatment centers: insights from Iran. (PubMed, Harm Reduct J) - "The majority of participants were male and began using substances after the age of 18. Patients in the Article 16 center exhibited the highest levels of high-risk behaviors, including injection-based substance use, unprotected sexual activity, and criminal involvement. In contrast, MMT centers showed the highest levels of familial conflict, and TC centers had the lowest prevalence of methamphetamine and morphine use. These findings highlight the need for context-specific harm reduction and treatment strategies tailored to the distinct substance use patterns and risk profiles within each treatment setting. Given the structural and demographic differences-such as voluntary enrollment in MMT versus mandated treatment in Article 16-comparative interpretations should remain descriptive and cautious."

Journal • Addiction (Opioid and Alcohol) • CNS Disorders • Psychiatry

Opioid and benzodiazepine use among a population-based cohort of adults with chronic spinal cord injury: Correspondence between self-report and state prescription monitoring data. (PubMed, Arch Phys Med Rehabil) - "The findings suggest considerable agreement between self-reported and dispensed prescription medication use, and only minimal potential underreporting of select opioids and benzodiazepines, confirming the appropriateness of self-report of these prescription medications with people with SCI."

Journal • CNS Disorders • Musculoskeletal Diseases • Orthopedics • Pain

Pharmacotherapy research landscape and knowledge gaps of opioids in maternal and pediatric populations. (PubMed, Pharmacotherapy) - "Morphine, fentanyl, methadone, and buprenorphine are the most researched opioids in PK and PE/CT literature in both populations, but hydrocodone, oxycodone, and codeine are the most prescribed. The limited human data in FDA labels underscores the need for additional studies. Studies using real-world data can potentially help address these gaps."

Journal • Review • Pediatrics

Approved medications for opioid use disorder : current update. (PubMed, Expert Opin Pharmacother) - "Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) is the generally accepted first line treatment in OUD with oral methadone and buprenorphine being the gold standard. Diacetylmorphine and retarded morphine are second line medications for treatment refractory patients. Future research may focus on responder characteristics for certain medications and efficacy in special subgroups as well as interaction of psychosocial and pharmacological treatments."

Journal • Review • Addiction (Opioid and Alcohol) • Psychiatry • Substance Abuse

Experiences of Women Prescribed Methadone. (PubMed, Subst Use Misuse) - "Women taking methadone experience side effects and stigma that should be addressed in treatment. The curriculum developed in this study may be helpful for women who are taking methadone to provide coping strategies and a forum for support and discussion."

Journal • Pain • Substance Abuse

Comparing the Use of Transverse Abdominis Plane Block and Splash Block for Postoperative Pain Control in Dogs Undergoing Mastectomy-A Blinded Randomized Prospective Clinical Study. (PubMed, Animals (Basel)) - "Following intramuscular (IM) premedication with pethidine (4 mg kg-1) and acepromazine (0.01 mg kg-1), anesthesia was induced with intravenous (IV) propofol and maintained with isoflurane by an anesthetist (DC) who was unaware of the treatment. In group A, ropivacaine 0.5% (2 mg kg-1) was administered prior to surgical wound closure...At the end of the surgery, all dogs received pethidine (4 mg kg-1 IM), meloxicam (0.2 mg kg-1 IV), and acepromazine (0.005 mg kg-1 IV)...When the pain scores were ≥6, methadone (0.2 mg kg-1 IV) and gabapentin (10 mg kg-1 per oral) were started. When the pain score remained ≥ 6, ketamine (1 mg kg-1 subcutaneously) was administered. The dogs in the TAP block group had lower postoperative pain scores 3-12 h after anesthesia administration was terminated and required significantly less rescue analgesia."

Journal • Anesthesia • Breast Cancer • Oncology • Pain • Solid Tumor

Perioperative Pain Management for Mastectomy in Dogs: A Narrative Review. (PubMed, Animals (Basel)) - "When combined with gabapentin, it lowers the need for rescue analgesic opioids, similar to robenacoxib. With regard to tramadol, it offers contrasting analgesia in the studies considered when used alone, while its effect appears enhanced when used in combination with meloxicam/dipyrone. However, methadone provides superior pain control, especially when given preoperatively or intraoperatively. The combination of ketamine, lidocaine, and maropitant enhances pain management, while fentanyl, alone or with lidocaine and ketamine, is effective for intraoperative pain control...Tumescent anaesthesia using lidocaine/ropivacaine allows for extensive infiltration of the mammary gland...Transdermal patches containing fentanyl/buprenorphine offer prolonged analgesia, while electroacupuncture can help reduce the need for rescue analgesics. Multimodal analgesic protocols are crucial for effective pain management in dog mastectomy surgeries, minimising the need for rescue opioids."

Journal • Review • Anesthesia • Breast Cancer • Cardiovascular • Oncology • Pain • Solid Tumor

Shifting Narratives in Media Coverage Across a Decade of Drug Discourse in the Philadelphia Inquirer: Qualitative Sentiment Analysis. (PubMed, JMIR Infodemiology) - "Our analysis revealed a predominance of negative and punitive language in drug-related news coverage, with limited representation of harm reduction principles. While some drug classes, particularly cannabis and hallucinogens, saw evolving narratives toward medical applications and policy reform, coverage of narcotics remained primarily focused on crime and overdose. These findings suggest a need for more balanced reporting that incorporates harm reduction perspectives and avoids potentially stigmatizing language when covering substance use disorders."

Journal • Addiction (Opioid and Alcohol) • CNS Disorders • Psychiatry • Substance Abuse

Buprenorphine: A Better Option for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in Pregnancy Compared to Methadone. (PubMed, J Am Board Fam Med) - "Buprenorphine, rather than methadone, should be considered the preferred first-line therapy for opioid use disorder in pregnancy due to its more favorable neonatal outcomes.1."

Journal • Addiction (Opioid and Alcohol) • CNS Disorders • Substance Abuse

The Role of Anesthesia in Sedation and Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation: A Systematic Review. (PubMed, Cureus) - "Sequential sedation protocols, particularly transitions from midazolam to dexmedetomidine, yielded improved clinical outcomes, while enteral methadone significantly reduced weaning duration compared to fentanyl. Despite higher daily costs, anesthetic agents demonstrated favorable economic outcomes due to shorter intensive care stays. These findings suggest that targeted anesthetic sedation strategies may enhance the weaning process and improve overall patient outcomes, underscoring the need for further large-scale studies to validate and standardize these approaches."

Journal • Review • Anesthesia • CNS Disorders • Critical care • Mood Disorders • Psychiatry

Study on Analgesic-Induced Endocrine Gland Damage and its potential mechanisms. (PubMed, Expert Opin Drug Saf) - "Opioids exhibited the strongest endocrine associations, particularly codeine with parathyroid injury (Reporting Odds Ratio [ROR]: 14.867, 95% Confidence interval [95% CI]: 12.336-17.918) and hypothalamic-pituitary injury (ROR: 3.197, 95% CI: 1.52-6.722), and methadone with testicular injury (ROR: 2.126, 95% CI: 1.446-3.126). Flurbiprofen (NSAIDs) exhibited pancreatic injury risk (ROR: 8.416, 95% CI: 5.187-13.656). Gabapentin/pregabalin showed no significant associations...Enrichment analysis implicated dysregulated hormone-metabolic pathways underlying tissue-specific injuries and pointed to disruption of several key signaling pathways. Specific analgesics (not all) are associated with endocrine risks, particularly in females and older adults, necessitating personalized monitoring despite limited dose-response data."

Journal • Endocrine Disorders • Pain

HISPANIC PATIENTS WITH IBD WHO UNDERWENT BOWEL RESECTION ARE LESS LIKELY TO RECEIVE ALL-CAUSE OPIOID AND NON-OPIOID AGENTS USED IN MULTIMODAL PAIN MANAGEMENT (SSAT 2025) - "Medications, which were identified using RXNORM codes, assessed included opioids (weak/strong), NSAIDs, gabapentin/pregabalin, antispasmodics, TCAs, and SSRIs. Among 70,654 IBD patients, non-Hispanic whites (NHW) comprised 49.4% (34,922), Hispanics 16.2% (11,457), and non-Hispanic blacks (NHB) 11.9% (8,431). These findings emphasize differences in all-cause pain management among IBD patients undergoing bowel resections. Hispanic patients consistently used fewer opioids and non-opioid pain medications compared to NHW patients, despite similar resection rates. Our findings may reflect differences in disease severity, pain perception, or healthcare access on the basis of ethnicity.Table 1."

Clinical • Addiction (Opioid and Alcohol) • Crohn's disease • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Pain • Ulcerative Colitis

ABCB1, SLC22A1, COMT, and OPRM1 genotypes: Study of their influence on plasma methadone levels and clinical response to methadone maintenance treatment in opioid use disorder. (PubMed, Fundam Clin Pharmacol) - "This study found no evidence to support the use of genotyping for polymorphisms in the ABCB1, SLC22A1, COMT, and OPRM1 genes in a clinical setting for the management of MMT in OUD."

Journal • Addiction (Opioid and Alcohol) • Substance Abuse • ABCB1 • COMT • OPRM1 • SLC22A1

Patient Preferences for Incentives in Contingency Management Interventions in Methadone Treatment: A best-worst scale Analysis (IAS-HIV 2025) - "The embargo on all abstracts, including oral abstract, poster exhibition, e-poster and late breakers, will lift on Monday, 14 July 2025, at 15:30 Central African Time (CAT). If an abstract is part of an official IAS 2025 press conference that occurs before that time, the embargo on that abstract lifts at the start of the official press conference."

Clinical