APA Dictionary of Psychology

a drug-rehabilitation therapy in which those with heroin or opioid use disorder are prescribed a daily oral dose of methadone to blunt drug cravings and diminish withdrawal symptoms. A controversial treatment, it is nonetheless widely considered the most effective approach to heroin use disorder. The use of an opioid partial agonist, buprenorphine, particularly in combination with naloxone, is increasing as an alternative to methadone maintenance therapy.