Question:easy
Maintenance dose of which of the following drugs is used worldwide for opioid dependence?
Maintenance dose of which of the following drugs is used worldwide for opioid dependence?
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Long-acting oral opioid agonist given once daily for substitution therapy.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Naloxone
- Methadone
- LAAM
- Pethidine
Show Solution
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Opioid dependence is treated either by detoxification or by long-term substitution (maintenance). Maintenance therapy replaces a short-acting, frequently injected drug such as heroin with a long-acting oral agonist that is taken once daily under supervision, so that the patient remains free of withdrawal and craving while avoiding the harms of injecting.
The agent that fulfils these criteria and is adopted as the worldwide standard is methadone, a synthetic full mu-opioid agonist with a long half-life suited to single daily dosing. Naloxone is the wrong choice because it is an antagonist used acutely to reverse overdose. LAAM, although long-acting, fell out of routine use after reports of dangerous QT prolongation. Pethidine is short-acting, has a neurotoxic metabolite, and carries high abuse liability, making it unsuitable for maintenance.
Hence the substitution drug used globally for opioid dependence maintenance is methadone.
\[\boxed{\text{Methadone}}\]
The agent that fulfils these criteria and is adopted as the worldwide standard is methadone, a synthetic full mu-opioid agonist with a long half-life suited to single daily dosing. Naloxone is the wrong choice because it is an antagonist used acutely to reverse overdose. LAAM, although long-acting, fell out of routine use after reports of dangerous QT prolongation. Pethidine is short-acting, has a neurotoxic metabolite, and carries high abuse liability, making it unsuitable for maintenance.
Hence the substitution drug used globally for opioid dependence maintenance is methadone.
\[\boxed{\text{Methadone}}\]
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