The National Alliance of Advocates
for Buprenorphine Treatment
Buprenorphine (Suboxone®, Subutex®3, Zubsolv®4, Bunavail™5, Probuphine®6) is an opioid medication used to treat opioid addiction in the privacy of a physician's office.1 Buprenorphine can be dispensed for take-home use, by prescription.1 This, in addition to the pharmacological and safety profile of buprenorphine, makes it an attractive treatment for patients addicted to opioids.2
Brief History of Opioid Addiction
5.5 million people in the US are currently addicted to opioids.
Every American has been touched by addiction in some way, whether it was an addicted parent or child or in the form of higher health costs, insurance, or taxes. Addiction costs this country in excess of $400 billion a year in lost productivity, healthcare, law enforcement, prison, etc.
This country has been fighting drugs for over 100 years. Drugs such as cocaine and opium have been used as early as 3000-4000 B.C. In 1890 the US Congress passed its first legislation on narcotics by imposing a tax on morphine and opium. Despite over 100 years of diligent law enforcement and legislative deterrents, addiction to opium-derived drugs (opioids) is still common. In fact, a recent household survey concluded that 5.5 million people in the US are currently addicted to opioids. See opioid law timeline.
<< What it is Like to be Addicted | The Birth of a Stereotype >>
The Purpose of Buprenorphine Treatment:
To suppress the debilitating symptoms of cravings and withdrawal, enabling the patient to engage in therapy, counseling and support, so they can implement positive long-term changes in their lives which develops into the new healthy patterns of behavior necessary to achieve sustained addiction remission. - explain -
The National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment is a non-profit organization charged with the mission to:
- Educate the public about the disease of opioid addiction and the buprenorphine treatment option.
- Help reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with patients with addiction disorders.
- Serve as a conduit connecting patients in need of treatment to buprenorphine treatment providers.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA Talk Paper, T0238, October 8, 2002, Subutex and Suboxone approved to treat opiate dependence.
- Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Buprenorphine in the Treatment of Opioid Addiction. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 40. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 04-3939. Rockville, Md: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2004.
- Subutex Discontinued in the US market in late 2011.
- Zubsolv (bup/nx sublingual tablet) FDA approved 7/3/2013 see buprenorphine pipeline graphic -in pharmacies now.
- Bunavail (bup/nx bucal film) FDA approved 6/6/2014 see buprenorphine pipeline graphic -in pharmacies now.
- Probuphine FDA approved 5/26/2016 - FDA Probuphine press release