Cost of Methadone

[greendog]

Does anyone know (or know how I could find out) how much it costs to put a person on a methadone programme � not the overall costs to the government � just what it would cost per person?

[NJOK]

"A study undertaken in the UK by Godfrey, Stewart and Gossop (2004), estimated total costs per client for a basic outpatient methadone prescribing service at up to �98 per person per week and up to �1,112 per week for those in residential rehabilitation."

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/0 3/28112035/8

[greendog]

NJOK,
Thank you for your help; you�re a credit to this site.

[jake-the-peg]

Be careful of the way you interpret that.

Firstly note the weasel words at up to this tells you the highest cost rather than average is being quoted.

Secondly note total costs this means that it's likely that they're adding in costs like GP time which would not be a fixed cash expenditure if you varied or even cancelled the program.

And thirdly note that this is taken out of context - that very same report notes an overall savings as a consequence of the methadone treatment were between �18 - �9.50 for each �1 spent on methadone treatment