Factors Determining of Dropping Out from Treatment Among Methadone Clients: A Qualitative Study in Can Tho City, VietNam

Abstract

Methadone maintenance therapy has been a main pillar of harm reduction for people who injecting drug user in VietNam as well as in Can Tho. Dropout rate has indicated to be high in Can Tho city. Methadone maintenance has been offered since 2008 in VietNam and it implemented in Can Tho since 2010; however, its dropout rate is high. This study aim at exploring the factors related to drop out from treatment. Qualitative conducted to interview 17 methadone clients for both drop out clients and current on treatment clients; 4 health workers and 3 family members of clients. The barriers to stay longer on treatment which included: individual factors, community factors and institutional factors. This study suggests that increasing meaningful involvement of family’s clients, strengthening counselling session on adherence for clients.