US will let more people take methadone at home

AP Medical Writer

The first big update to U.S. methadone regulations in 20 years is poised to expand access to the life-saving drug starting next month. But experts say the changes could fall flat if states and methadone clinics fail to act. The new federal rules allow stable patients to take home a month’s worth of methadone if states allow it. And treatment can start faster because patients will no longer need to demonstrate a one-year history of opioid addiction. The COVID-19 pandemic showed patients can safely take methadone at home unsupervised.