Methadone and Marijuana: What's New and What's Not

Methadone is a very useful opioid that indisputably requires careful attention to dosing and monitoring. In this fast paced presentation, participants will learn about the American Pain Society guidelines for the safe and effective use of methadone and how those guidelines should be applied for patients with an advanced illness. Using a case based approach, participants will explore methadone dosing in opioid naïve and opioid tolerant patients, how to adjust a calculated dose based on patient related variables (eg, comorbid conditions, concurrent drug therapy), and how to use methadone in an adjunctive role. As if that weren't controversial enough, participants will also learn about medical cannabis, including its proposed indications, mechanism of action, adverse effects, and role in management of patients with chronic noncancer pain or an advanced illness. Methadone and marijuana--all you need now is potato chips! (Recorded at PAINWeek 2016)