What is buprenorphine?

What is buprenorphine?

Buprenorphine is:

• An FDA-approved medication used to treat opioid use disorders (OUDs)
• Prescribed by medical practitioners (physicians, nurse practitioners, and physican assistants) with a special waiver as part of a complete substance use disorder treatment plan that includes counseling and recovery support
• Most commonly prescribed in the form of Suboxone ®, a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone
• Research-proven to be effective in keeping people in treatment and reducing the risk of fatal overdose

Related Resources

American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)

• Providers Clinical Support System for Medication-Assisted Treatment

ATTC Network

• Buprenorphine Fact Sheet 
• Buprenorphine Treatment: Training for Multidisciplinary Addiction Professionals
• HealtheKnowledge: Pharmacology for Behavioral Health

SAMHSA

• Buprenorphine
• TIP 40: Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Buprenorphine in the Treatment of Opioid Addiction

NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse)

• NIDA Notes Articles: Buprenorphine

NAADAC

• New Innovations with Opioid Treatment: Buprenorphine

Visit the NIATx Buprenorphine Information Library for more information