Methadone guide history

Document Title

Methadone for adults with pain in palliative care

Document Date

March 2024

Document Purpose and Intended Audience

To provide guidance to healthcare professionals in how to utilise methadone safely and appropriately for palliative patients with pain who are either not responding to standard opiates or who are suffering from unacceptable side effects.

Author

Professor Derek Willis, Dr Alice O’Connor, Dr Sophie Taylor, Dr Alice Gray

Consultation Process

Reviewed through SPAGG process

Monitoring

This will be audited and reviewed every 3 years

Review Date

(must be within three years)

March 2027

Approval Signatures:

SPAGG chair

Dr Jon Tomas

SPAGG secretary

Dr Alice Martin

Date Approved by SPAGG: 6th March 2024

Date submitted to Area Prescribing Committee: N/A

Version History

Version 1

Date

March 2024

Summary of change/ process

Current version

Disclaimer

These Guidelines are intended for use by healthcare professionals and the expectation is that they will use clinical judgement, medical, and nursing knowledge in applying the general principles and recommendations contained within. They are not meant to replace the many available texts on the subject of palliative care.

Some of the management strategies describe the use of drugs outside their licensed indications. They are, however, established and accepted good practice. Please refer to the current BNF for further guidance.

Whilst SPAGG takes every care to compile accurate information , we cannot guarantee its correctness and completeness, and it is subject to change. We do not accept responsibility for any loss, damage or expense resulting from the use of this information.