As Methadone Used More, Deaths Rise

Methadone is known mainly as a treatment for heroin addiction. But now more doctors are using it to treat pain. In the process, it has become the fastest-growing cause of U.S. narcotics deaths. Deaths linked to methadone increased nearly fivefold from 1999 to 2005, the New York Times reported August 17. Experts told the Times that it’s hard to prescribe the right dose of methadone. People’s bodies respond to it differently. It also can build up in the body. Until 2006, a package insert listed a maximum dose that could be dangerous. Now U.S. officials may require doctors who prescribe methadone to take a class.