Methadone in a low threshold treatment setting. Does addition of methadone as medication at the LASSO clinic improve the lives of more opioid dependent persons?

In the study, we will investigate if the introduction of methadone as a medication in a low threshold substitution treatment facility (LASSO) in Oslo will lead to improved results for the opioid dependent patients. We will evaluate if the inclusion of patients, the full induction on the opioid maintenance treatment (OMT)-medication and the retention in treatment will increase after the introduction of methadone in the LASSO clinic. In the study the results for the patients using methadone and buprenorphine will be compared. The study will also include a user survey focusing on background characteristics, why users chose the low-threshold treatment setting and their experience with the OMT-medication and the follow-up by the staff at the low threshold clinic. Finally the study includes a possibility to link the patients to the Norwegian Prescription Registry and the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry after three and five years. The recruitment of the participants is expected to start in the autumn of 2019 and will last for three years.

Principal Investigator: Peter Krajci and Linda Couessurel Wüsthoff