Buprenorphine: Abuse, Misuse and Addiction
Buprenorphine in Sublocade has a track record of exposing it’s patients and other users to the risks of opioid addiction, abuse as well as misuse. It can lead to multiple severe hazards like overdose and even death. A sublocade treatment doctor should understand each patient’s risk beforehand in order to prescribe buprenorphine. He or she must also monitor all the patients regularly for the development of these conditions and behaviours. Opioid Analgesic Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy or REMCare used to make sure that the benefits of opioid analgesics would outweigh the risks of abuse addiction and misuse. The Food and Drug Administration more commonly known as FDA has required a REMS for these products. Under all the requirements of the REMS, these drug companies with approved opioid analgesic products must arrange education programs that are REMS-compliant which will be available to healthcare providers.
All the healthcare providers in the sublocade treatment centers are strongly encouraged to do these following things:
- Completion of a REMS-compliant education program
- Make the patients and/or their caregivers understand and counsel with every prescription, serious risks, on safe use disposal and storage of these products
- Emphasize the patients and/or their caregivers the significance of reading the Medication Guide each time it is provided by their pharmacists
- Consideration of other tools in order to improve the patient, their household and alsotheir community safety.
Cause of Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression
Fatal, life-threatening and serious respiratory depression might occur due to the use of buprenorphine. Monitoring the respiratory depression, more specifically during the time of initiation of buprenorphine or following a dose increase must be done. Abuse or even misuse of buprenorphine by swallowing, chewing, or injecting and snoring buprenorphine extracted from the buckle film might cause the uncontrolled delivery of buprenorphine. It might also pose a significant risk of overdose and finally, death.
Accidental Exposure
It is to be kept in mind that any kind of accidental exposure of even one single dose of buprenorphine, especially by any child can result in a fatal case of overdose.
Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
Prolonged usage of buprenorphine while one is pregnant might cause neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. It may be life-threatening in case it is not recognized as well as treated immediately and properly. It also needs to be well managed in accordance to the protocols that are developed by neonatology experts.
If opioid use is needed for a lengthy period of time in a pregnant woman, it is advisable that the patient be enlightened about the risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. The assurance that appropriate treatment will be available shall be given.
Risks from Concomitant Use in Benzodiazepines or Other similar CNS Depressants
Reserving concomitant prescribing of buprenorphine and benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants for use in patients to whom any kind of alternative treatment options are inadequate is important. Limiting the dosages and its durations to the minimum is also needed. It can only be said that any sublocade treatment is apt when the symptoms and sign of respiratory depression as well as sedationis properly checked.
The Side effects that would require immediate medical attention
In addition to all the desired effects, buprenorphine, which is an active ingredient contained in Sublocade may also cause some undesired after effects. Even though not all of these side effects may occur, if in case they do occur, they call for immediate medical attention.
One should inform the doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while the intake of buprenorphine:
- Bloating or swelling of the arms, face, lower legs, hands or feet.
- Bladder pain
- Blurred vision
- Bloody or cloudy urine
- Diarrhoea
- Cough producing mucus
- Difficulty in breathing
- Difficult, painful or burning urination
- Dizziness
- Fever
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Lower back pain
- Side pain
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Pale skin
- Mouth or throat pain
- Rapid weight gain
- Nervousness
- Stomach pain
- Pounding in the ears
- Slow or fast heartbeat
- Tightness in the chest
- Unusual bleeding or bruising
- Tingling of the hands or feet
- Unusual weight loss
- Unusual tiredness
- Troubled breathing with exertion
Since Sublocade price is very low, people tend to use this more and more these days. However proper precaution should be taken.