opioid use among women on a stable methadone dose

Background: opioid use on a stable methadone dose is a health concern in iran, themost populous persian gulf country. however, the underlying reasons associated with opioid use have not been studied. objectives: the study aimed to explore the reasons associated with opioid use among a group of persian methadone-maintained women. the other aim was to explore effective interventions to stop this problem. methods: the current qualitative study was conducted between june 2008 and december 2009. the study sites included ten large methadone treatment clinics in tehran. the study employed semi-structured interviews with 50 women. six roundtable meetings were conducted with nine key informants. nvivo 10 was used to thematically analyze the data. results: women were on a stable methadone dose of 45 - 115 mg for at least six months. opioid availability, an opioid-dependent lifestyle, peer pressure and self-treatment were the reasons of opioid use. the provision of cognitive-behavioral therapy, life skills, observational learning, and mental health services were the suggested interventions to stop opioid use. conclusions: opioid use on a stable methadone dose had been facilitated by some factors which should be considered in methadone treatment. the suggested interventions should be considered in increasing methadone treatment outcomes.