Subjective Opiate Withdrawal Scale And Toxicological Screening In Malaysian Opioid Drug Addicts

The use of opioids is a major problem worldwide. There is a compelling need for the process of evaluation, screening, and therapy to be carried out continuously. Aim: The aim of this study has been to find baseline characteristics, together with the results of toxicological screening and the Subjective Opiate Withdrawal Scale (SOWS) as applied to Malaysian opioid drug addicts. Methods: This has been a descriptive cross-sectional study, involving the interviewing of 85 respondents from methadone clinics in Malaysia, about the characteristics of drug users, recruited by using a convenient sampling method. Results: In this study, the highest percentage of drug abusers was found within the 41-50 year age group. There were more male subjects than female ones. Within the study sample 74.6% were employed. There were positive results for opiates, amphetamine, methamphetamine, benzodiazepine, and THC. Conclusions: Illicit drug use was found in methadone therapy patients. In this study the SOWS questionnaire showed that drug abusers had low scores.