Buprenorphine: Anew alternative drug for the treatment of opiate dependece

Recently, fda (food and drug administration) has approved two new medications which have been proven to be effective for the treatment of opiate dependence. subutex® (buprenorphine hydrochloride) and suboxone® (buprenorphine hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride) are the first narcotic drugs available for the treatment of opiate dependence that can be prescribed in an office setting. until recently, opiate dependence treatments, like methadone, could be dispensed in a very limited number of clinics that specialize in addiction treatment. as a consequence, there have not been enough addiction treatment centers to accommodate all patients desiring therapy. under this new law, medications for the treatment of opiate dependence can be prescribed in a doctor>s office by specially trained physicians who usually need to take an eight-hour training session. this change is expected to provide patients greater access to needed treatment. given this new finding and the repercussions it might have for the treatment of opiateaddiction, the present paper attempts to give an overview of the characteristics ofsubutex® and suboxone® and discusses some of the issues pertaining to these newmedications.