Rules and Regulations
Rancho Cucamonga adheres to strict regulations regarding methadone clinics, outlined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Certification Procedures
To become a certified methadone clinic, facilities must:
- Submit an application and fees to SAMHSA
- Pass an onsite inspection verifying compliance with regulations
- Have medical staff with valid DEA registrations
Benefits of Medication-Assisted Treatment
Medication-assisted treatment with methadone can:
- Reduce opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms
- Lower the risk of overdose
- Allow people to focus on their health and recovery
How Clinics Operate and Their Purpose
Methadone clinics provide daily supervised methadone doses to treat opioid use disorder. This allows patients to function normally without the negative effects of addiction. The ultimate purpose is to help patients achieve long-term recovery.
Insurance Coverage
Medicaid, Medicare, and many private insurers cover methadone treatment. Uninsured patients may qualify for state funding or clinics with sliding-scale fees based on income.
Drug Use in Rancho Cucamonga
In 2017, the opioid crisis was declared a nationwide public health emergency by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This decision aimed to allocate more resources to address the rising rates of opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose deaths across the country.
In 2020, there were an estimated 92,183 drug overdose deaths in the United States, with synthetic opioids (excluding methadone) involved in a majority of those deaths. In California, there were 5,722 drug overdose deaths in 2020. Specific local data for Rancho Cucamonga and San Bernardino County was unavailable from official sources.
According to SAMHSA’s 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug in California, with about 2.5 million people aged 12 or older reporting use in the past year. This was followed by misuse of prescription pain relievers (629,000 people) and cocaine (528,000 people).
Addiction Treatment Overview
Inpatient Treatment
Inpatient treatment involves staying at a specialty treatment facility 24/7 for the duration of the program, which may range from a few days to a few months depending on individual needs. Treatment includes medical detoxification, individual and group counseling, medication management, aftercare planning, and more.
Outpatient Treatment
Outpatient treatment allows the patient to live at home while commuting to a treatment center up to several times per week for counseling, group or individual therapy, medication-assisted treatment, and more.
Treatment Level Unreported
Accurate local statistics on the proportion of residents who receive addiction treatment at various levels were unavailable. National estimates suggest only 10.6% of people with a drug use disorder receive any specialty treatment per year.
Comparison of Treatment in Rancho Cucamonga vs. Los Angeles
| City | Treatment Facilities | Inpatient Beds | Cost of Treatment |
| Rancho Cucamonga | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Los Angeles | 366 | 3,547 | $7,500 per month |
Methadone Treatment
What is Methadone
Methadone is an opioid agonist medication used to treat opioid use disorder. It binds to opioid receptors and reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Methadone maintenance treatment provides the medication along with counseling and other services in an opioid treatment program (OTP).
Methadone activates the opioid receptors in the brain like other opioids, but it does so more mildly, preventing withdrawal and reducing cravings. The OTP provides structure and support services to help patients recover while taking methadone.
Opinions on methadone treatment vary. Some view it positively as an evidence-based treatment that improves outcomes. Others see it more negatively as simply replacing one opioid with another. Overall, methadone remains a widely used and accepted treatment for opioid addiction.
Simply put, methadone is a medication that makes people with opioid addiction feel normal, stops their cravings, and allows them to function without using illegal or prescription opioids. It’s given as part of a full treatment program including counseling and support services.
Methadone Distribution
Description of monitoring and regulations:
- Urine testing: Methadone maintenance patients must undergo at least eight tests in the first year of treatment to ensure they are not using other opioids or substances.
- Take-home requirements: Patients must follow program rules to earn take-home doses allowing them to reduce program attendance over time.
- Monitoring: Methadone treatment programs have an interprofessional team overseeing patient progress, including counselors, social workers, nurses, and doctors.
- Prescription drug monitoring: Providers check the state’s prescription database before prescribing methadone to verify patient history and prevent adverse interactions.
Methadone Treatment Effectiveness Research
Methadone is an effective medication for treating opioid use disorder used since 1947.
Evidence for Effectiveness
Studies show methadone reduces opioid use, disease transmission, and crime. Methadone patients have 33% fewer opioid-positive drug tests. They are 4.44 times more likely to stay in treatment. Staying in treatment reduces overdose risk, disease transmission, and unemployment while increasing employment.
Major Drawbacks
However, methadone does carry risks including the potential for misuse and diversion, severe withdrawal if stopped suddenly, QTc prolongation and cardiac issues, respiratory depression, and overdose when combined with other substances.
Comparison to Other Medications
About Rancho Cucamonga
Location, County & Neighboring States
Rancho Cucamonga is located in San Bernardino County in the state of California. It borders the following counties and states:
- San Bernardino County
- Riverside County
- Orange County
- Los Angeles County
- Arizona
Capital and Largest City
The capital and largest city in the state is Sacramento.
Land Area
The land area of Rancho Cucamonga is 39.9 square miles.
Infrastructure
Rancho Cucamonga has modern roads, utilities, and public services to support its growing population of over 180,000 residents and businesses, though more investment is still needed in public transit and affordable housing.
Population Statistics
Total Population
The population of Rancho Cucamonga was estimated to be 181,107 as of 2021.
Demographics
Gender
- Male: 49%
- Female: 51%
Age Brackets
- Under 18 years: 26.4%
- 18 to 64 years: 61.2%
- 65 years and over: 12.4%
Occupations
The top occupations in Rancho Cucamonga are:
- Management, business, science, and arts: 40.2%
- Sales and office: 24.3%
- Service: 15.8%
- Production, transportation, and material moving: 11.4%
- Natural resources, construction, and maintenance: 8.2%
