Have people who are overcoming heroin or opioid addiction been “buped” by the drug industry? Buprenorphine, or “bupe” for short, is the drug commonly used to treat heroin abuse.
Similar to the way heroin reacts to the brain, buprenorphine attaches to the brain’s opioid receptors, but it does not cause the user to experience the ups and downs as heroin does. The main reason doctors prescribe bupe is because it allows those addicted to opioids to have their cravings satisfied, however, its effect is more sobering than more intoxicating drugs like heroin. Although some people still experience heroin-like highs from using bupe, a majority of people who are prescribed bupe have shown signs of improvement from using the drug.
Even with such high praise, the drug has become the most illegally used drug in the country. From doctors who sell it directly to patients – which is illegal – to the users who sell it on the street, bupe is more abused than marijuana, PCP and even heroin itself. Though we know other prescription drugs are being sold and used illegally, the misuse of bupe has surpassed them all. One study even uncovered that the drug has been sold as contraband in prisons, disguised as a thin strip that can be easily be hidden.
With so many reported misuses of this drug, isn’t it about time for our law enforcement, regulators, doctors and prescribers to wake up?
Several publishers believe the reason the drug industry and government have not been enforcing laws and disciplinary actions is because several parties are benefitting by either selling the drug or even using it themselves. This is disheartening since bupe was created to help people recover from addictions. However, in recent news, the drug is starting to do more harm than good for anyone who touches it.
This problem with Suboxone and drugs like it is the gray area or thin line that exists between what is considered the illegal versus the legal use of drugs to treat dependence and addiction. From the user’s perspective, just because a drug is “legal” in a sense doesn’t mean it is not harmful. The biggest harm with the continued use of Suboxone is the likelihood of becoming dependent on the drug forever. Legally prescribed drugs are just as addictive as illegally used drugs, and as we see in this instance, users have to be careful that they are not trading one addiction for another.
The New York Times has been following some of the doctors and clinics that prescribe Suboxone and generic buprenorphine to treat heroin and opioid addictions. These studies show how one drug that was created for “social good” has brought out the bad among users, prescribers, drug companies and government and law enforcement. We encourage you to read the following articles and stories and let us know what you think.