A follow-up study of dropouts from a methadone maintenance program.

This is a follow-up study of 112 dropouts from one of the largest methadone maintenance programs in New York City. It was found that 47% of the sample were on methadone at other programs at the time of the follow-up interviews, 26% were drug-free, 16% were using drugs, and 11% were in institutions. However, because of certain sample biases, inferences to the total population of dropouts were made through weighted estimates. A more accurate, although approximated, percentage distribution of the outcomes is that 20% of all dropouts were on methadone at other programs, 43% were drug-free, 23% were using heroin again, and 14% were in institutions. Some of the implications of these findings are discussed.