MAT Member Handbook_09302026

Take-Home Medication for Methadone Members

Decisions about increased take-home levels are based upon Federal and State regulations and program policies and will be reviewed by the clinical team. Some factors that are taken into consideration are: 1.Your stability in treatment (whether substance use disorders are active or in remission) 2.How regularly you attend appointments 3.Length of time in treatment 4.No serious behavioral problems at the agency 5.Special physical health needs 8.Compliance with prescription drug policy and logging of medications 9.Compliance with policy on diversion, loss or theft of take home medication 10.Stable on psychiatric medication and current coordination with provider of services To receive take-home doses, members must have favorable urinalyses (see urinalysis section). In addition, members may lose the ability to have take-home doses when they no longer meet the above criteria. Breathalyzers and urinalyses positive for illicit drug use, or that are considered unfavorable, may result in partial loss of take-home doses. Ability to receive take-home doses will be reduced one level after each unfavorable urine drug screen. Additional unfavorable urine drug screens may result in daily dosing except for Sundays and holidays. You can get take-home doses again upon stabilization. When you receive take-home bottles, please be aware that this is a potentially dangerous medication prescribed for you only. Take-home medications should be stored in an upright position in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children. A refrigerator is NOT a good place to keep this medication. Additionally, there are State and Federal time frame requirements you need complete before you can take medication home. A federal exception must be made for other circumstances where take-home medication is needed and criteria is not met. Please meet with your Recovery Coach for these requests. Returning Take-Home Bottles: Members must return all used/empty take-home bottles upon their next visit to the site. If you don’t bring back all take-home bottles with the correct name and date, your take-home dosing will be reduced by one level. Diversion CODAC is required by our Federal and State licensure to safeguard all the methadone that our members receive. Any inappropriate use of medication is considered diversion. This includes, but is not limited to, selling your take-home bottles/medication, dual enrollment at another MAT site, uncoordinated prescriptions for methadone from another source, overtaking your buprenorphine, leaving the clinic without swallowing your methadone, and irresponsible loss of take home medication. Due to the seriousness of this concern, any individuals found to be diverting their medication risk losing their treatment. 6.Assurance that take-home medication can be safely stored 7.Hardship experienced in traveling to and from the agency

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