Do people have to go to a special clinic, like methadone, to obtain buprenorphine?
Buprenorphine is the first medication for opioid addiction treatment that can be dispensed by physicians in an office based setting. Q: Will buprenorphine replace methadone as a treatment option for opioid addiction? A: Methadone clinics will continue to play a vital role in treating opioid addiction. However methadone therapy is only able to treat one fifth of the estimated one million Americans who are dependent on opiates. Office-based treatment with buprenorphine will help fill this treatment gap by making more treatment options available to the remaining opiate-addicted individuals not being treated. The medication will also expand treatment opportunities for those opioid dependent people who have avoided methadone clinics because of the stigma associated with them. Q: In what type of drug formulation is buprenorphine made available? A: Buprenorphine is available in tablet form which is present in two preparations. • Subutex: This contains only buprenorphine prescribed for patient
