Buprenorphine is an FDA-approved medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) that is typically taken once or twice daily as an oral dissolvable tablet or film. Buprenorphine works by maintaining a steady and safe level of opioid effects in the brain and body, which prevents uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms and cravings for other dangerous opioids such as heroin. People with OUD taking buprenorphine report that it has helped them to make positive changes in their lives, and buprenorphine has been shown to improve treatment engagement, reduce heroin use, and reduce overdose deaths. Patients begin taking buprenorphine for the first time (a process called “induction” or “initiation”) under the close supervision of a healthcare provider. After beginning buprenorphine, patients can continue to take the medication at home regularly. Programs that seek to implement buprenorphine tend to focus on supporting healthcare providers with the necessary knowledge and workflows to safely prescribe buprenorphine to patients for the first time.

Buprenorphine is similar to another medication used to treat OUD and heroin dependence, methadone. However, individuals can only take either buprenorphine or methadone, not both. A key difference between the medications is that buprenorphine is prescribed and filled at a pharmacy to be taken at home, while methadone must be administered at a federally certified opioid treatment program (OTP).