Pubdate: Wed, 03 Jan 2007
Source: Charleston Daily Mail (WV)
Copyright: 2007 Charleston Daily Mail
Contact:  http://www.dailymail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/76
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)

METHADONE CLINICS MAY FACE TIGHTER CONTROLS

A top Republican lawmaker wants tighter  controls on clinics that
prescribe methadone, just as a  new federal study shows West Virginia
suffering from  the fastest-growing rate of methadone overdoses in the
  country.

Sen. Don Caruth, who was elected Senate minority leader  in December,
said Tuesday he wants the Legislature to  look at regulating the way
methadone is used in drug  treatment facilities. In particular, the
Mercer County  Republican wants to examine drug testing requirements
at the clinics, and explore the possibility of  mandating a process by
which methadone users could be  weaned off the drug.

In 2006, the Legislature passed a law that had  previously been in
effect as an administrative rule  governing the licensure of such
clinics. The new law  mandates, among other things, annual state
inspections  of clinics that use methadone as part of drug treatment
programs. Currently, there are eight such clinics in  West Virginia,
although there are at least two other  pending applications before the
West Virginia Health  Care Authority.

One of those applications is for a clinic in Mercer  County, where a
number of residents, local officials  and business leaders have spoken
out against it. The  Health Care Authority won't make a decision on
whether  the clinic can open in Mercer County until sometime  after
the end of the month, according to a staff  member.

Caruth said such local opposition is fueled by what  people see as
ineffective regulations.

"If methadone clinics were regulated to a greater  extent, I don't
know if the local communities would  have as many objections," he
said.

Under current regulations, Caruth said, testing  positive for a drug
besides methadone doesn't  automatically exclude a patient from
further methadone.  He wants that changed.

He also wants to look at how clinics go about  encouraging patients to
stop using methadone.
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MAP posted-by: Derek