RT Journal
A1 Ngo HT, Tait RJ, Hulse GK
T1 INsufficient information in drug-related hospital morbidity study—reply
JF Archives of General Psychiatry
JO Archives of General Psychiatry
YR 2009
FD March 1
VO 66
IS 3
SP 331
OP 332
DO 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2008.551
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2008.551
AB 
First, with respect to the statewide annual report referenced in the article, this was not included in our original submission but was included in the final version at the request of a reviewer to provide an indication of retention by local services.2(p462) Unfortunately, this report does not disaggregate by service; the respective retention rates cited apply to inpatient and outpatient services provided by not-for-profit organizations funded by the Western Australian Alcohol and Drug Authority. These organizations include 12 Community Drug Service Teams and 25 other organizations providing treatment services, 7 of which provide inpatient residential services. The reference shows the percentage of clients of these services who remained in treatment programs until completion. Clients were considered not to have completed treatment if they (1) had left a service against advice of the service, (2) did not comply with the conditions of the program, (3) left without notice, (4) died, or (5) were imprisoned (reference 371(p59) in our article2). Nevertheless, recent data from a study based in the eastern states of Australia reported that after 3 years, the median days in treatment for those in maintenance treatment (methadone or buprenorphine) was 887 days.3 Therefore, we believe that it is valid to claim that a large proportion of those who enter methadone treatment are retained in treatment for a reasonably optimal period (approximately 12 months).