KHUJAND, September 25, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Medical workers in Khujand have begun using methadone for treatment of persons who abuse heroin and other opiates.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, director of the Drug Addiction Monitoring and Prevention Center Ghayrat Zaripov said they had launched the methadone treatment following the health minister’s order of August 31, 2009 permitting use of the methadone replacement therapy for treatment of drug-dependent persons.

“50 drug-dependent persons, HIV and hepatitis sufferers have been selected in Khujand and they will be treated free of charge due to financial support from the Global Fund and the UNODC,” said Zaripov, “The program will be introduced stage by stage.”

According to him, Khorog, Khujand, Dushanbe and Khatlon have been chosen as pilot areas for introduction of the new treatment method.

Methadone is a synthetic opioid, used medically as an analgesic, antitussive and a maintenance anti-addictive for use in patients on opioids.  It was developed in Germany in 1937.  Although chemically unlike morphine or heroin, methadone also acts on the opiod receptors and thus produces many of the same effects.  Methadone is also used in managing chronic pain owing to its long duration of action and low cost.

Methadone is useful in the treatment of opioid dependence. It has cross-tolerance with other opioids including heroin and morphine and a long duration of effect: oral doses of methadone can stabilize patients by mitigating opioid withdrawal syndrome.  Higher doses of methadone (60–80 mg+) can block the euphoric effects of heroin, morphine, and similar drugs.  As a result, properly dosed methadone patients can reduce or stop altogether their use of these substances.