Suboxone

What is Suboxone?

Suboxone is the first opioid medication approved under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000, a federal law for the treatment of opioid dependence in an office-based setting. Suboxone also can be dispensed for take-home use, just as any other medicine for other medical conditions.

The primary active ingredient in Suboxone is “buprenorphine.”

Because buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, its opioid effects are limited compared with those produced by full opioid agonists, such as oxycodone or heroin. SUBOXONE also contains naloxone, an opioid antagonist.

How Does Suboxone Maintenance Work??

The naloxone in SUBOXONE is there to discourage people from dissolving the tablet and injecting it. When SUBOXONE is placed under the tongue, as directed, very little naloxone reaches the bloodstream, so the patient feels only the effects of the buprenorphine. However, if naloxone is injected, it can cause a person dependent on a full opioid agonist to quickly go into withdrawal.

SUBOXONE at the appropriate dose may be used to:

• Stop or reduce illicit opioid use
• Help patients stay in treatment using ancillary tools by:

SUBOXONE at the appropriate dose may be used to:

• Decreasing cravings for opioids
• Discouraging IV misuse/abuse