Where Can People Under the Age of 18 Get a Prescription for Methadon?
Question by Zach: Where can people under the age of 18 get a prescription for methadon?
Instead of having to go to a Methadone Clinic every day to get your dose, is there a place where a minor can get a prescription for Methadone?
Best answer:
Answer by J Miller
It depends on why you think you need methadone. If you have severe pain and need methadone to treat the pain you can go to any doctor who can prescribe narcotics, which most doctors can. If you are wanting methadone to treat addiction your only option is to go to a methadone clinic regardless of what age you are. Federal law prohibits doctors from prescribing controlled substances to treat addiction. Methadone can only be dispensed, never prescribed, in special clinics that have been approved by the federal government.
If you go to a methadone clinic you do have to go daily at first but after 30 to 90 days you start to qualify for takehome doses, one dose at a time, as long as you are clean and obeying the rules. After a couple of years you only have to come in once a month.
Since you are a minor it may be a bit more difficult for you to be accepted by a methadone clinic. The laws for qualifying for methadone treatment is different for minors. You need permission from your guardian and you have to be able to prove that you have tried and failed other kinds of treatment. If I recall correctly you have to have failed two other treatments before you can get methadone treatment when you’re under 18.
If your problem is addiction you do also have the option of trying Suboxone treatment. The rules for Suboxone are not as strict as they are for methadone. To get Suboxone you can go to a regular doctor’s office as long as the doctor is licensed to prescribe Suboxone. You don’t have to come every day and most doctors give you a script that lasts you a month. Some give you less in the beginning. Suboxone works pretty much like methadone but is recommended mainly for younger people and people who have not been addicted for very long.
Most doctors are not licensed to prescribe Suboxone so to find one in your area that does you can go to this site: http://buprenorphine.samhsa.gov/bwns_locator/dr_search.htm
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