Supervised Methadone Consumption: Client Issues and Stigma |
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Authors: | Susan Anstice Carol J Strike Bruna Brands |
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Institution: | 1. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;2. Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;3. Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;4. Office of Research and Surveillance, Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
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Abstract: | Supervised methadone consumption is an important part of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) but may contribute to stigma for clients. Data from qualitative interviews with MMT clients (n = 64) conducted in 2002–2003 in Canada were analyzed using thematic analytic methods. Three themes dominated clients' accounts of supervised consumption (convenient access to services, relationships with pharmacists and dispensing staff, and attributes of the dispensing space) and were interwoven with experiences of stigmatization. While some dispensing contexts may help clients manage a stigmatized identity, others confer or make visible this identity. Reducing stigmatizing experiences within dispensing environments may improve MMT outcomes and decrease barriers to treatment. The study's limitations are noted. |
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Keywords: | Methadone maintenance treatment stigma supervised consumption pharmacy qualitative research |
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