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Definition

Methadone is an opioid racemate drug that acts as an agonist on the μ opiate receptor and is the best-studied substance available for opioid maintenance in terms of clinical effectiveness reducing illicit opioid consumption and reducing high-risk behavior such as needle sharing and increasing rates of treatment retention.

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Opioid Dependence and Its Treatment

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© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Fischer, G., Unger, A. (2010). Methadone. In: Stolerman, I.P. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68706-1_1447

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