Methadone Street Value & Prescription Cost

Manish Mishra, MBBS

Medically Reviewed By: Manish Mishra, MBBS

on March 11, 2023
Fikret Terzic

Written by: Fikret Terzic MD, MS

Methadone costs $1.50 to $5.00 per 10 mg tablet on the street. The street price varies by location, drug authenticity, quantity purchased, and dealer relationship. Insurance may cover methadone prescriptions and free discount programs are available.

Methadone is an opioid frequently used in medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction. It’s sometimes prescribed for chronic pain relief, too. 

Some people misuse methadone by taking it without a prescription or using more than prescribed, and they often have to get the drug on the street.

Methadone Street Value

The street value of methadone is $0.15 to $0.50 per milligram (mg). That means a 10 mg pill costs between $1.50 and $5.00, but it can be up to $10 in some places. This average price estimate applies to methadone tablets and the methadone oral solution.

Factors That Affect Methadone Street Price

Street prices for illicit drugs and prescription medications aren’t the same across the board. Many factors can affect the street price of methadone, including quantity, location, authenticity, and dealer relationship.

How Much Methadone You Buy

As with illicit drugs, the more methadone you buy at once, the lower the price. A single pill will probably be more expensive than a week’s or month’s supply. And for a dealer buying large quantities, wholesale prices should be even lower.

Authenticity Of Methadone

Much of the methadone sold on the street is authentic methadone diverted from pharmacies. But many fake prescription drugs are floating around on the black market. 

Methadone hydrochloride tablets can be made on a home pill press and cut with other drugs or household products to stretch the supply. Methadone oral solution can be diluted with juice or water to go further.

If you find methadone for a very low street price, it’s probably not the real thing. 

Methadone on the street isn’t regulated like when it’s sold at a registered pharmacy. You don’t know how much methadone you’re getting, so you may take too much without meaning to.

Fake methadone is likely to affect you differently, which is dangerous. Many opioids sold on the street are cut with fentanyl, a potent drug that easily causes overdose, especially if you don’t know you’re taking it.

Where You’re Buying Methadone

Location is a significant factor in the price of street drugs. Cities tend to have more supply and more competition, which keeps prices relatively low. Rural areas don’t have as many buyers or dealers, so people selling methadone on the street can charge more.

Methadone street cost can vary between cities, too. Some urban areas have more access to illicit drugs and diverted opioids than others because they’re on a drug trafficking pathway or have more criminal drug activity.

Your Relationship With The Dealer

When you buy from a dealer you don’t know for the first time, they’re likely to charge a premium. But if you’re a friend, referred by a friend, or you’re a regular customer, you might get a better deal. 

As with most businesses, customer loyalty and personal relationships can pay off in drug deals. Offering regular, trusted customers discounts keeps them coming back rather than looking for a lower price elsewhere.

Methadone Prescription Cost In Ohio

Methadone prescription cost in Ohio depends on which brand and formulation you buy at a pharmacy:

  • 40 tablets of 10 mg brand name methadone (Dolophine) cost around $35
  • 60 tablets of 10 mg generic methadone cost, on average, $30 to $40
  • 500 mL of generic methadone oral solution (5 mg/mL) is $89 in most places

If you have insurance and are prescribed methadone by a licensed medical professional, the cost may be significantly lower. Ohio Medicaid programs often cover the cost of necessary prescription drugs.

If you don’t have insurance, or if your insurance doesn’t cover the whole cost, you may be able to use a free discount program like GoodRx or SingleCare to make it more affordable. 

With GoodRx in Ohio, instead of $30 to $40, 60 tablets of 10 mg generic methadone could cost:

  • $10 at Rite Aid
  • $11.28 at Meijer
  • $12.05 at Giant Eagle
  • $13.37 at Discount Drug Mart

GoodRx in Ohio offers coupons for 500 mL methadone oral solution, too, lowering the cost from $89 to:

  • $30.95 at Rite Aid
  • $43.50 at Meijer
  • $61.21 at Giant Eagle
  • $52.02 at Discount Drug Mart

At a street value of $0.15 to $0.50 per mg, methadone costs $90 to $300 for 60 tablets (10 mg). The oral solution would be $75 to $250 on the black market. With or without insurance, it’s cheaper and safer to buy methadone legitimately at a registered pharmacy.

Methadone Abuse

While methadone is about three times stronger than painkillers hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco) and oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet), it doesn’t produce the intense euphoric effect of these drugs. It also lasts much longer, so it gives a more gradual sedation.

These mild effects make methadone effective at treating opioid addiction. It activates opioid receptors to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms without feeding addiction when it’s kept at a regulated dose.

However, some people abuse methadone, whether they’ve been prescribed the drug for pain or use it in MAT and become addicted to its sedative effects. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies methadone as a Schedule II drug with high abuse potential.

Prescription drug abuse raises the risk of adverse side effects, drug addiction, and overdose.

Methadone Overdose In Ohio

Ohio has one of the highest rates of opioid overdose death in the nation. Overdose death usually occurs because of opioid abuse. Most of these deaths are due to strong prescription opioids and heroin, but it’s also possible to overdose on methadone

Many people in Ohio who abuse methadone don’t realize how long it stays in their system. You can overdose on methadone hours later if you take an additional dose too soon. 

Mixing methadone with depressant drugs or stimulants increases overdose risk. Depressants compound the effects of methadone, while stimulants counteract them. In either case, you might take too much methadone.

Drugs that can be dangerous to take with methadone include:

  • opioids, such as hydromorphone (Dilaudid) or oxymorphone (Opana)
  • benzodiazepines, like alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), or diazepam (Valium)
  • amphetamines (Adderall) 
  • methylphenidate (Ritalin)

Common opioid overdose symptoms include: 

  • blue skin or nails
  • shallow or stopped breathing
  • extreme drowsiness
  • loss of consciousness

You can treat a methadone overdose with naloxone if you think someone else has taken too much. Naloxone temporarily reverses opioid overdose symptoms to keep someone alive until healthcare professionals arrive.

Opioid Addiction Treatment

Opioid addiction treatment is available at rehab centers in Ohio. If you’re struggling with methadone abuse or addiction, now is a good time to ask for help. 

If your methadone addiction developed in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for another opioid, you may be eligible for MAT with a different drug, such as buprenorphine (Suboxone) or naltrexone (Vivitrol). 

Comprehensive treatment programs, like the one at Ohio Recovery Center, combine medication and various therapies to increase recovery success. We work with you to create a personalized care plan that includes methods like behavioral therapy, exercise, nutritional guidance, and support groups.

Reach out to a mental health specialist today at Ohio Recovery Center to learn more.

  1. Drug Enforcement Administration — Controlled Substances https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/orangebook/c_cs_alpha.pdf
  2. GoodRx — Methadone https://www.goodrx.com/methadone?form=tablet&dosage=10mg&quantity=40&label_override=dolophine&slug=methadone
  3. Street Rx — Methadone https://streetrx.com/methadone.php
  4. Washington Post — See how deadly street opioids like ‘elephant tranquilizer’ have become https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/health/opioids-scale/

Written by Ohio Recovery Center Editorial Team

© 2024 Ohio Recovery Center | All Rights Reserved

* This page does not provide medical advice.

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