Treatment entry among individuals on a waiting list for methadone maintenance.

BACKGROUND Many methadone programs in the United States have waiting lists for care. OBJECTIVES To examine specific predictors of treatment entry among individuals on a waiting list for methadone maintenance. METHODS Heroin users placed on a waiting list for methadone treatment (n = 120) were administered a urine screen for drug use and assessed with a battery of measures at study entry and at 4 month follow-up as part of a larger clinical trial. Logistic regression was used to examine hypothesized predictors of treatment entry. Outcomes for those failing to enter treatment were also examined. RESULTS Only 25 individuals (20.8%) entered treatment within four months of being placed on a waiting list. Intravenous drug users were more likely to enter treatment (p <.05) whereas cocaine users were less likely to do so (p <.01). Motivation did not predict treatment entry, and cocaine use did not moderate this relationship. There were some improvements in heroin use among those who did not enter treatment. CONCLUSIONS Additional research is needed on the relationship between motivation and treatment entry. Programs may need to make special efforts to facilitate entry for treatment-seeking heroin users who also use cocaine. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE These findings have implications for improving access to methadone treatment.