Subutex is a brand name used for buprenorphine monoproduct (buprenorphine without naloxone). While buprenorphine is no longer sold under the name Subutex, the public still refers to this medication as Subutex.
Buprenorphine is a drug designed for treating opioid use disorder. Buprenorphine works by attaching itself to opioid receptors, blocking opioids and thus preventing overdoses, while at the same time stopping the brain’s craving for more opioids.
A list of commonly used opioids includes:
- Codeine
- Heroin
- Opium
- Morphine
- Oxycontin
- Roxicodone
- Oxecta
- Oxaydo
- Xtampza
- Percodan
- Targino
- Xartemis XR
The difference between Subutex and Suboxone is that Suboxone includes the medication naloxone in it (buprenorphine-naloxone). Naloxone is a complete anti-opioid (opioid agonist); however, when takien as directed, it does not get absorbed by the body in sufficient amounts to cause any significant effects. The reason naloxone (Narcan) is added to Suboxone is to prevent people from crushing up the medication and injecting it. Alhough it is difficult to get “high” off buprenorphine due to its partial anti-opioid effect, many states limit the prescriptions of Subutex due to this risk. Therefore Subutex is generally only reserved for a small subset of patients that cannot tolerate Suboxone—and it is rarely prescribed as the initial medication due to government scrutiny.