Methadone is a prescription medication that belongs to the class of drugs known as opioids. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved methadone to treat moderate to severe pain and opioid use disorders (OUDs).

In the United States, millions of individuals abuse barbiturates. This abuse leads to barbiturate addiction and barbiturate use disorder. A substance use disorder affected 19.7 million American people (aged 12 and older) in 2017, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

A prescription drug called Suboxone is used to treat opioid use disorder. It can reduce the signs of opioid withdrawal and relieve cravings. It can be abused, though, if someone does not take it exactly as their doctor instructs.