The Rise and Risks of Methadone Prescriptions

Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD Guest: Howard Heit, MD A drug that first gained prominence as a treatment for heroin addiction, methadone is now more commonly prescribed by medical practitioners for a range of severe pains. Why are we seeing this rise in methadone use? Are we, as prescribers, doing everything we can to understand the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of methadone, and to ensure that our patients are also cognizant of the dangers? Dr. Howard Heit, a nationally recognized chronic pain and addiction medicine specialist practicing in northern Virginia, and an assistant clinical professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, shares his clinical expertise on the perils of the drug that is now the fastest growing cause of narcotic death in the United States. Dr. Mark Nolan Hill hosts.