Methadone Addiction Treatment: Opening the Door to a New Life

Reviving many lives

For nearly 6 years now, every morning Mr. Tran Danh Q (born in 1987), residing in Que Vo town (Bac Ninh) arranges his work to go to the opioid addiction treatment facility of Bac Giang City Medical Center in Nham Bien ward to take methadone to cut his addiction. According to Mr. Q, who graduated from a university with a degree in tourism, he used to have a stable job at a travel agency in Binh Duong province. In 2015, while taking a tour, he was lured and got addicted to drugs without realizing it.

Staff of Bac Giang City Medical Center advise patients on drug addiction treatment with methadone replacement medication.

From a hard-working, high-income employee, Mr. Q suddenly became a different person, often violating working hours and was fired by the company. Encouraged by his relatives, in 2020, Mr. Q decided to bring his wife and children to Bac Ninh to live; choosing to register for addiction treatment with methadone replacement drugs at Yen Dung District Medical Center (now Bac Giang City Medical Center). Thanks to his high determination and compliance with treatment, he has now given up drugs.

Having good health and no longer dependent on drugs, he is sharp in developing the family economy and currently owns a store. “The first week of taking methadone, I still used drugs, but after the 3rd or 4th week, the drug cravings decreased a lot and then completely disappeared. If I hadn’t decided to return to my hometown and not taken methadone, my life would have been gone,” Mr. Q shared.

Methadone is a substitute used in the treatment of opioid addiction, helping addicts reduce cravings and block the effects of drugs gradually, so it is considered a safe and effective solution. If the treatment regimen is followed, addicts will no longer be dependent on drugs, reducing the burden on their families and society.

Mr. Bui Kim C (born in 1990), residing in Cao Thuong town (Tan Yen) has been using drugs for nearly 10 years. Previously, he had gone to drug rehabilitation many times, but only a short time after each rehabilitation session, listening to the invitation of his fellow addicts, he returned to the "brown fairy". After more than 2 years of taking methadone at Tan Yen District Medical Center, Mr. C has given up drugs and is working at a business with an income of 12 million VND/month.

Similarly, Mr. Han Van S (born in 1984), residing in Canh Thuy ward (Bac Giang city) also has a stable job after 2 years of taking methadone replacement; Mr. Pham Duy H (born in 1966), residing in Ngo Quyen ward (Bac Giang city) found his own happiness by following the treatment regimen. “I became addicted to drugs in 1981 when I worked as a gold miner in Bac Kan province. Before, when I used drugs, I was very weak and could not do heavy work. After using methadone, all my activities gradually returned to normal, my health improved and stabilized,” said Mr. H.

Help patients feel secure during treatment

The program for treating opioid addiction with methadone substitutes has been implemented by the Ministry of Health since 2010. To participate in the program, patients must have a clear place of residence, voluntarily undergo treatment and commit to complying with the regulations of the professional agency. Regarding costs, patients are provided with free medication, only having to pay 8,000 VND/person/day to directly serve the patient such as: records, drinking water, medication storage costs, etc.

In Bac Giang, from the first treatment facility opened at the Provincial Center for Disease Control (September 2013), up to now the whole province has 11 facilities in operation. To help patients access the service, the facilities have paid attention to communicating the benefits of the program on mass media; increased training, improved knowledge and skills for health station staff, community volunteer groups, families and individuals addicted to opioids, thereby mobilizing them to voluntarily participate in treatment.

According to statistics, as of May 30, 2025, the whole province had 1,126 patients being treated for addiction with replacement drugs, of which 1,104 patients were stable, the rest were being tested. Doctor Dang Huu Tuan, Director of Bac Giang City Medical Center, said: "Through monitoring patients at two facilities under the center, many patients have reintegrated into the community, found jobs and stable income. The good news is that the rate of patients who violate the law and are arrested by the authorities during the treatment process decreases every year."

Despite achieving positive results, through evaluation, the program for treating opioid addiction with methadone replacement drugs in the province still has difficulties such as: Many patients live far away, making treatment difficult; the treatment time is long, so the rate of patients not persisting with the treatment regimen is still high... To help addicts easily access the service, in early 2025, staff of facilities treating opioid addiction with methadone replacement drugs launched a communication campaign to attract patients and increase counseling so that patients comply with treatment.

Promote the multi-day drug dispensing activities for patients who meet the criteria according to the regulations of the Ministry of Health to reduce the time spent traveling to take medicine for patients, thereby increasing the effectiveness of treatment. Also this year, the Department of Health opened a new facility for treating addiction to opioids with replacement drugs at the Medical Center of the province's industrial parks, creating favorable conditions for patients who are workers to maintain the regimen.

Dr. Tran Xuan Thanh, Head of the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Department (Provincial Center for Disease Control) said: "In order for the program to be more effective, in the coming time, the health sector will focus on upgrading drug dispensing facilities, while also doing a good job of consulting and explaining so that patients comply with treatment doses; health workers will actively connect and encourage them to maintain the regimen, ensuring good health results."

Article and photos: Sy Quyet

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/dieu-tri-nghien-bang-thuoc-thay-the-methadone-mo-canh-cua-lam-lai-cuoc-doi-postid420573.bbg