To test the efficacy of screening urine specimens of methadone
maintenance clients as a deterrent to illicit drug use, the authors
randomly assigned 431 subjects to a monitored or an unmonitored group for 1
year. Monitored subjects continued to provide urine specimens once a week;
unmonitored subjects did not. All other aspects of treatment remained the
same. At 4 and 8 months after the study began, surprise urine collections
were conducted. There was no difference between the groups in the
proportion of drug-free specimens at either time.Abstract Teaser