[Substitute drug treatments with methadone].

Methadone maintenance treatment for patients with opiate addiction, started in the Canton of Basel in 1980, today includes more than 600 patients, with a marked increase since 1987 due to a change in inclusion criteria following the spreading of HIV infections. Data from 500 patients, gathered in 1991/92 on sociodemographic and treatment characteristics, emphasize the long-term aspect of the methadone maintenance treatment and the necessity of an intensive psychosocial treatment.