Max methadone patients per clinic

[Tainted (OP)]

So I never realized methadone clinics had a cap on patients. There's like 3 dozen suboxone doctors in my county but only two clinics (both owned by the same company)
Called to try to get in, they just told me show up on Tuesday or Friday at 545am it's first come first serve for intake. I've gotten there 515am (and there's always been half a dozen ppl already there) 3 times now, they only seem to let pregnant chicks in, they get priority so showing up is like pointless. Finally today they let me inside the building and told me their at capacity and took my name and said it'll be very minimum a few weeks till I get in, but when I was leaving someone else was coming in to do their intake, said they had to wait 3 months. The other clinic is 45 minutes away and full, doctor nurse dude only other suggestion was goto the one in the next county over, which is easily 60+miles away.

It's not like I live in a tiny town, I'm not in a huge city, but my towns got like 120k people. Is this normal for methadone clinics? I expected to show up, do the intake and get dosed at worst the day after. Didn't think id be waiting months (if the waiting list is that long, why the fuck is there 50 suboxone docs and only one methadone clinic???)

[corlene]

Suboxone docs are basically the next pill mill deal down here. 2 methadone clinics in my county last time I checked, also 13 bux a day, cash only. Maybe 15 now.

[Opus]

It's an omen: get on suboxone instead.

[Tainted (OP)]

It's an omen: get on suboxone instead.

Been off and on suboxone for years. Used to work really really well, but the past year or two it hasn't been at all. Methadone has always worked really well for pretty much everyone I know, I've just refused to take it because I don't wanna get stuck on it. But I've been on opiates for close to ten years so I'm ready to resign myself to always being on some form of opiate

[Lolleedee]

Sorry that you are having to wait to get in. I don't know if all clinics have a patient cap, but I guess they probably do.  I'm sure there are regulations that dictate how many counselors vs how many patients etc.

I know at my clinic the only people who have to wait are medicaid patients.  Due to the reimbursement rate being so poor, they only allow 50 medicaid patients at one time.  If someone has medicaid and there are no available slots, you have the option of paying cash. ($70.00 per week, but you need to be paid up a week ahead of time...I guess that is so if you say fuck it and leave, they will still have some of your money!  Bastards!!)

I will have to ask how many patients my clinic can have..now I am curious.  I know right now, there are approx. 350...it's a pretty small place.

Are you having to wait due to medicaid or insurance issues or are they just at capacity?  I know the other clinic is far, but could you get in to that one and then when an opening happens, switch to the clinic near you/

I know it sucks to have to travel and stuff, but for me it beats the hell out of being sick and having my entire life in the crapper.   Good luck!  I hope you get in soon!

[Tainted (OP)]

Nah I'm paying cash. This place doesn't take regular insurance, only medicaid which I don't have.

[Lolleedee]

My clinic is exactly the same!  I just thought maybe that was the hold-up.  Is the linic that is in the other town full/  I know you said it was 60 milws...is that one way or round trip/

It totally sucks how hard it is to get treatment.  Even Suboxone places have patient caps.  If they made clinic life a little easier to access, maybe more people could get the treatment they need.

Were you able to put your name on a waiting list or do you have to keep going there in the early morning hours until they have space?

[Tainted (OP)]

My clinic is exactly the same!  I just thought maybe that was the hold-up.  Is the linic that is in the other town full/  I know you said it was 60 milws...is that one way or round trip/

It totally sucks how hard it is to get treatment.  Even Suboxone places have patient caps.  If they made clinic life a little easier to access, maybe more people could get the treatment they need.

Were you able to put your name on a waiting list or do you have to keep going there in the early morning hours until they have space?

I was able to put it on a list after I went 3 times. Haven't bothered calling to see if the other place is taking new people, I'm on felony probation and don't have a license, thats too far and too risky to do on a daily basis

I get why suboxone docs have caps on patients since they only have to see their patients once every month to 3 months, would be easy for doctors to cram in too many patients and neglect them, but methadone clinics make you show up every day.

I guess what I'm asking is if there is actually a restriction on the number of methadone clinics patients or if it's just the place near me's policy? I've got a lot of friends on methadone out of state and none that I've talked to have ever been put on a waiting list

[Griffin]

I am pretty sure in Colorado where I am at that is the case. When I got arrested and tried to get back on methadone they told me it would be at least 3 months. They got me on a list and there was about 10 people ahead of me and the only reason I got on that was because I was on probation. If you aren't on probation or pregnant your out of luck. They weren't doing any intakes for 3 months then one a week after that so it would of taken probably 5 months if my counselor hadn't gone to talk to the doctor to squeeze me in for intake. The doctor knew me cus i had been there for 18 months before getting arrested.

 I only had to wait a month to get in but there is still a huge waiting list to get on at my clinic. It was the same for the other 2 companies that do them in my area. I think there are about 5 clinics within 45 minutes of me and they were all full. They can't get federal funding and its a bitch to open them because of all the regulations and cost.

 It is a known fact that we need more clinics but if you see what is happening in monument, colorado that is pretty much what all clinics have to go through. A company was told by the city council they could open and given all there licenses. Then after they spend around one million buying a retail property and getting their ducks in a row. The people in their area throw a huge fit and boycott and petition the city council until they deny them their licenses after they already gave them the okay. It is a fucked up situation I hope that company is allowed in and sues the city and wins for all their losses plus some.

[Z]

In Quebec I don't think there is a strict limit.  Most doctors limit themselves to a percentage of their practice, and the programs seem to know how many people they are able to serve.

My doctor told me that he regularly takes new patients, and staggers intakes.  At first he sees them weekly, and within a year most are moved to every three months.  He told me that he tried to move his regular patients to other doctors to make more room, but he wasn't able to.

They don't dispense methadone in-clinic here.  If they did it would probably be much more strict. 

There are two programs in downtown Montreal.  The CRAN is prettytypical, and was the first methadone clinic here.  The interesting one is called relais methadone.  They are geared towards the homeless, and have low waiting lists.  No carries are given, and urine testing is minimal.  It is a dirty program, so you won't be kicked off for dirty tests.

You don't see a doctor, but instead see a doc from a pool.  You don't get an appointment specifically, but instead get Tuesday morning for example.  I think the appointments are every week.

It is really geared towards at risk users.  Probation officers often call and jump whatever que there is.

Waiting lists can be brutal here.  The average is about three months.  Usually you are told to phone at a certain time, but often services like cps or parole will jump the line, and the phone stays closed.  From my experience, you might do well to get an advocate to call them.  Maybe a drug counsellor?

Good luck.  Hang in there.  The wait van be brutal, but it is worth it.  I would be proactive, and show up at a quiet time to regularly ask if they have any suggestions for what to do.

[Lolleedee]

@ Tainted.  I'm in New Jersey.  The guidelines here are that there has to be one counselor for every 50 clients.  I asked my counselor about it and she said if our clinic was to exoand to accept more people, they would have to hire more counselors first.  I don't know if this is a "Jersey" thing or if this is a federal regulation.  I think I'm going to go research that. *Lolleedee opens new window to google federal methadone regs*

[_Enduser]

Probation officers often call and jump whatever que there is.

wow, if only this resource was available to the at risk and usuallyy paper bound populations of the USA

[Tainted (OP)]

Probation officers often call and jump whatever que there is.

wow, if only this resource was available to the at risk and usuallyy paper bound populations of the USA

Was thinking the same thing. Whole reason I'm getting on methadone is I been on probation for 18 months, been pissing dirty the whole time but my po liked me and never tested me for opiates, but my po just changed so he's prolly gonna gimme a ten panel next time I go in or an opiate dip stick. Pregnant women are the only ppl who get to cut the line for methadone here

[Griffin]

I would call the clinic and let them know you are on probation to see if that moves you up the list at all. My clinic only allows people on probation and pregnant women on their list when they aren't accepting new patients. They haven't been accepting anyone new sense April but in September they started doing one a week from the probation and pregnant women list. It is crazy how high the demand for methadone is and still there is no funding for new clinics. It is a known fact that when a methadone clinic is introduced in an area the crime rate goes down. At least that is what my counselor told me when we were discussing the shenanigans going on with the mmt clinic trying to open in monument colorado.

[Z]

In the US there are stringent requirements for methadone clinics.  Dated requirements.  For suboxone, most doctors could easily do a data 2000 course and dispense it.

Here they are both governed by a 1 day, 6 hour course.  They are both treated the same with earning carries and going to the pharmacy.

I wonder if some of you who are on subs would be on methadone if you had to get your subs every day and earn privileges.  Here they stream pill users onto subs and heroin users onto methadone for the most part.  That is the experience in the circles I run in at least.

I would call and say you are on probation, and your PO wants you on methadone.  Just be aware they might want to talk to the PO, so don't spread lies.  Can't hurt right?

Edit:  my doctor is expanding his practice right now.  If anyone from Montreal/Québec needs a referral drop me a line.  I'm pretty sure I'm the only one though.