Methadone Clinics in Las Cruces

Rules and Regulations

Las Cruces, Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States adheres to strict regulations regarding methadone clinics, outlined by the New Mexico Department of Health and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). All clinics must be certified and acquire a license from the state health department. Clinicians must also register individually with the DEA.

Certification Procedures

To be certified, clinics must submit an application and undergo an inspection by the state health department. They must demonstrate the capacity to provide counseling and evidence-based treatment. Clinicians must be licensed and are subject to criminal background checks.

Benefits of Medication-Assisted Treatment

Methadone and other medications coupled with counseling and behavioral therapies can:

• Reduce opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms
• Decrease illicit opioid use
• Help patients gain stable employment and housing
• Lower risk of infectious disease transmission
• Reduce the risk of overdose death

How Clinics Operate and Their Purpose

Methadone clinics provide daily supervised methadone dosing and comprehensive treatment services including counseling and case management. Their purpose is to treat opioid use disorder through a harm-reduction approach.

Insurance Coverage

Many clinics accept Medicaid and private insurance. Some clinics offer uninsured patients sliding-scale fees based on income.

Drug Use in Las Cruces

In 2017, the opioid crisis was declared a nationwide public health emergency. New Mexico has been hit hard by this epidemic.

• In 2020, there were 632 drug overdose deaths in New Mexico. This is a 39% increase from 2019.
• Opioids were involved in 76% of New Mexico’s overdose deaths in 2020.
• Fentanyl is driving the rapid increase in overdose deaths.

Data on the prevalence of different substances

• Alcohol and marijuana are the most commonly used substances in New Mexico.
• After alcohol, the most commonly abused illicit drugs are marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin.

Addiction Treatment Overview

Inpatient Treatment

• Inpatient treatment involves living at a treatment facility for 30 days or longer.
• Services include medical detoxification, individual and group therapy, relapse prevention planning, life skills training, and aftercare planning.

Outpatient Treatment

• Outpatient treatment takes place at a facility but the person lives at home.
• It typically involves 1-5 sessions per week for 4-12 weeks. Services are similar to inpatient.

Treatment Level Unreported

• Approximately 18% of treatment admissions in New Mexico did not specify treatment level.
• It is estimated two-thirds were outpatient and one-third inpatient.

Comparison of Treatment in Las Cruces vs. Albuquerque

Methadone Treatment

What is Methadone

Methadone is a long-acting opioid agonist medication used for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) of opioid use disorder (OUD). It binds to and activates opioid receptors, preventing withdrawal and drug cravings without inducing a euphoric high. Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs provide methadone doses daily for patients, allowing them to function normally without using illegal opioids.

Mechanism as Medication-Assisted Treatment, OTP Principle

• Methadone activates opioid receptors enough to prevent withdrawal and drug cravings, but not enough to induce a euphoric high like short-acting opioids.
• MMT programs provide structure with counseling and urine drug screening along with daily oral methadone doses.
• The long-acting nature means methadone only needs to be taken once daily, improving compliance over short-acting medications.

Societal Perspectives on Methadone Treatment

Methadone treatment is controversial, with some viewing it as merely replacing one addiction with another. However, evidence shows MMT:

• Reduces illegal opioid use and disease transmission
• Reduces drug-related crime
• Improves social functioning and ability to hold employment

So while imperfect, appropriately structured MMT programs allow patients to stabilize and work toward recovery.

Methadone Distribution

MMT programs have strict monitoring and distribution regulations including:

• Urine testing: Patients must pass at least 8 random urine tests in the first year to detect continued drug use.
• Take-home doses: Patients must follow program rules for 27 days to earn 1 take-home dose, up to a 30 day supply after 2 years.
• Interprofessional care teams provide counseling and coordinate medical/psychiatric care.
• Clinicians check Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) when prescribing to avoid dangerous drug interactions.

In New Mexico, methadone is a Schedule II Controlled Substance, available only through approved OTPs.

Methadone Treatment Effectiveness Research

Methadone is an effective medication for treating opioid use disorder used since 1947.

Evidence for Effectiveness

Multiple studies confirm MMT with counseling reduces illegal opioid use and related health/social consequences:

• 33% fewer opioid-positive drug tests for patients in MMT
• 4.44 times more likely to stay in treatment and achieve abstinence
• Retention in treatment reduces overdose risk, HIV risk behaviors, and unemployment

Major Drawbacks

• Potential for misuse/diversion if not closely monitored
• Severe withdrawal if stopped suddenly after long-term use
• Cardiac issues such as QT prolongation
• Respiratory depression and overdose when combined with other substances

Comparison to Other Medications

About Las Cruces

Location, County & List of Neighboring States

Las Cruces is located in Doña Ana County in southern New Mexico, United States. It borders the state of Texas to the east and south, along with the following U.S. states:

• Colorado
• Arizona
• Utah

Capital and Largest City

Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico, while Albuquerque is the largest city.

Land Area

The land area of Las Cruces is 76.6 square miles.

Population Statistics

Total Population

The population of Las Cruces is 102,926 as of the 2020 census.

Demographics:

Gender

• Female: 53,047
• Male: 49,879

Age Brackets

• Under 18 years: 24.1%
• 18 to 64 years: 59.5%
• 65 years and over: 16.4%

Occupations

Top occupations in Las Cruces:

• Office and administrative support
• Sales related
• Education, training, and library
• Food preparation and serving