Methadone dose levels and client characteristics in heroin addicts.

Methadone dosage levels have typically been examined with regard to patient symptomatology, treatment retention, and continued narcotic use. The results of these studies have generally supported the conclusion that daily dosages of 40-60 mg per day are both safe and maximally effective for the majority of methadone clients. Yet, in practice, dosage levels for maintenance clients continue to vary a great deal both within and across clinics. The data presented here suggest that one source of this variation may be the social and cognitive skills of clients.