Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Health Professions
 
Board
Board of Medicine
 
chapter
Regulations Governing Prescribing of Opioids and Buprenorphine [18 VAC 85 ‑ 21]
Action Initial regulations
Stage Emergency/NOIRA
Comment Period Ended on 5/3/2017
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4/23/17  1:57 pm
Commenter: Jeffrey T Junig MD PhD, SuboxoneTalkZone

Truth about buprenorphine diversion/risks
 

Please understand the truth about buprenorphine diversion.  I work with hundreds of opioid addicts. Some injected buprenorphine or bupe/naloxone.  When asked, all say the same: "you can't get high from it."  Then ask, so why did you inject it?  "Because 8 mg will last 5 days that way to keep me from getting sick". 

Note that when they inject bupe/naloxone, they feel about the SAME.

Remove buprenorphine and fewer people will be able to afford treatment.  The response will be more injecting-- of buprenorphine, or of a bupe/naloxone product.  That means more hepatitis C.

Finally, look at the numbers of people who die with buprenorphine in their bloodstream.  Death on buprenorphine is RARE, and only occurs in opioid-naive individuals.  Buprenorphine clearly prevents death, even when taken improperly.   Nationwide, about 40 people die with buprenorphine in their bloodstream.  Most would have lived, if MORE buprenorphine had been present. 

You are fixing a problem that doesn't exist- and worsening another problem in the process.

CommentID: 58344