What is Buprenorphine?
A Brief History of Buprenorphine
Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone) was first approved by the FDA in 2002 for the treatment of opioid dependence. It was one of the first medications approved specifically for the treatment of opioid addiction. Prior to Buprenorphine, methadone was the standard medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. Buprenorphine provided an alternative to methadone treatment that could potentially be prescribed and administered in more flexible settings outside of specialty opioid treatment programs.

How Does Buprenorphine Work?
Buprenorphine contains two active ingredients - buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, Suboxone which means it binds to the same receptors in the brain as opioids like heroin or prescription pain medications. However, it produces weaker effects and is considered less dangerous in overdose situations than a full opioid agonist like methadone.

Naloxone is included to deter intravenous misuse. When taken as prescribed sublingually, naloxone has no effect. But if the medication is crushed and injected, the naloxone can induce immediate withdrawal symptoms by displacing the buprenorphine from brain receptors.

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