Drug use, HIV-related risk behaviors and dropout status of new admissions and re-admissions to methadone treatment

New entrants to methadone maintenance treatment programs (MMTP) have been reported to have different drug use patterns than readmissions. This study assesses differences between 211 re-admissions and 128 new admissions to a NYC MMTP. Those new to MMTP were found to be less likely to have ever injected drugs, have used more types of drugs, and used heroin at higher frequencies in the 30 days prior to admission. Within the first three months of treatment, new admissions dropped out at a higher rate than the re-admissions (31% vs.20%, p [is less than] 0.05). The most frequent reasons for dropout, for both groups, included 'lost to contact' and incarceration. Further research on strategies to address polydrug use of MMTP admissions is needed. Efforts to identify concerns of new admissions early in treatment, and programs to continue drug treatment services to incarcerated clients, are indicated. [C] 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Methadone; Drug abuse treatment; Heroin addiction