HOME IS WHERE THE HEROIN IS –
Nov. 22, 2025 – This is a moment where a life can tip one way or the other. And we now have a practical, economical, and proven way to help people stay on the path to recovery.” Susan Calcaterra, MD, MPH …nearly half of patients discharged with take-home methadone successfully connected to follow-up treatment within 72 hours. That window can be the difference between relapse and recovery or even life and death. he study examined 519 hospital visits across Connecticut, Maryland and Colorado, focusing on patients discharged with take-home methadone for opioid use disorder treatment. This strategy became more accessible following a 2023 update to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s “72-hour rule,” which allows practitioners working outside of an opioid treatment program (OTP), also known as a methadone clinic, to dispense (but not prescribe) up to three days of narcotics to manage acute withdrawal while formal treatment is arranged.
Researchers found that 44% of patients who received take-home methadone successfully connected to an OTP within 72 hours. The likelihood of successful follow-up increased if patients were already enrolled in an OTP, discharged to a structured care setting like a rehab facility or received higher methadone doses. Conversely, patients who used stimulants such as methamphetamine or cocaine alongside opioids were less likely to engage in follow-up care.
