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Prescribing Methadone Safely

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Handbook of Methadone Prescribing and Buprenorphine Therapy

Abstract

Methadone is an opioid with unique pharmacokinetic characteristics that has been utilized for maintenance therapy for the past 5 decades and more recently has gained popularity for the management of chronic malignant and nonmalignant pain. Its low cost, high analgesic efficacy, and prolonged half-life, makes it a desirable analgesic. On the other hand, its unpredictable half-life, and possible dose-dependent prolongation of the QTc interval that predisposes to ventricular arrhythmias, requires a clear understanding of its unique pharmacokinetics, metabolism, possible drug–drug interactions to avoid morbidity and mortality associated to its use. In this chapter we will address some of the peculiar aspects of methadone that differentiates it from other medications that belong to the same analgesic family and provide guidance on safe-prescribing practices.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care, Beth Israel Medical Center, 10 Union Square East, Suite 2Q-2R, New York, NY, 10003, USA

    Eliezer Soto MD, Joy Hao MD, PhD, Helena Knotkova PhD & Ricardo A. Cruciani MD, PhD

  2. Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Helena Knotkova PhD

  3. Department of Neurology and Anesthesiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Ricardo A. Cruciani MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Eliezer Soto MD
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  2. Joy Hao MD, PhD
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  3. Helena Knotkova PhD
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  4. Ricardo A. Cruciani MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ricardo A. Cruciani MD, PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Dept of Pain Med and Palliative Care, Beth Israel Medical Center, Union Square East 10, New York, 10003, New York, USA

    Ricardo A. Cruciani

  2. , Dept of Pain Mgmt and Palliative Care, Beth Israel Medical Center, East 17th Street 350, New York, 10003, New York, USA

    Helena Knotkova

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Soto, E., Hao, J., Knotkova, H., Cruciani, R.A. (2013). Prescribing Methadone Safely. In: Cruciani, R., Knotkova, H. (eds) Handbook of Methadone Prescribing and Buprenorphine Therapy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6974-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6974-2_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6973-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6974-2

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