Note: Some information may be out of date. Last updated 2019

Patient Guide: Opioid Medications

The biology and pharmacology of opioids explains why they are effective in treating pain and why they are addicting. Buprenorphine’s pharmacology makes it effective at treating opioid addiction.

Learn about:

Common symptoms of addiction
The basic biological actions of opioids
What buprenorphine is and how it blocks symptoms of opioid addiction
Buprenorphine’s side effects, drug interactions, and precautions to take
Special populations that may need to take extra care when using buprenorphine
Other types of medication-assisted treatment and how the best one is determined for each patient

Funding Information Development of this website was funded by grant #R44DA12066, contract #HHSN271200655304C, contracts #HHSN271200900003C and Grant #1R44DA027245-01, from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health. The website contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIDA. Ongoing development and maintenance is funded by the training fee and Clinical Tools, Inc. No commercial support is received.

Clinical Tools is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Patient Guide: Opioid Medications

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