Several high-profile court cases involving methadone have recently hit headlines.
In April, Claudine Michelle Herewini, 42, was charged with manslaughter by administering methadone after her 9-year-old son Antony Christensen died from an alleged overdose.
Herewini, whose son was found dead in his bed at Raetihi, will reappear in court later this month [June 24].
Two weeks earlier, [12/04] Wanganui man Matthew Shane Johns, 36, whose girlfriend died after he helped her shoot up methadone, was sentenced to two years and seven months' jail for manslaughter.
Both Johns and his girlfriend Sanchia Wilson were experienced methadone users.
Clive Kenneth Beach, 58 - a registered methadone user - was also sentenced to 10 months' home detention in relation to her death after admitting three counts of supplying the Class B drug.
Care NZ's Ms Leafe said most OST patients who were prescribed methadone took their medication under supervision.
"It is a syrup that is carefully measured and is mostly swallowed directly in front of the pharmacist.
"Methadone doses are sometimes taken home. This is only under strict criteria which involves a complex assessment of the client in terms of stability, need [and] appropriateness."
The Health Ministry warns that ceasing use of opioid drugs is not the general goal of OST. A Christchurch study estimated nearly $131,000 was saved each year in "societal costs" when an opioid addict received treatment through a methadone programme. Making OST more accessible and stabilising addicts earlier in their lives led to substantial reductions in expenditure on drugs, crime and imprisonment. In New Zealand, the most common opioids were legitimately prescribed, usually for pain or addiction treatment, Dr Crawshaw said. APNZ
