Patient Guide: Starting Buprenorphine Treatment

Taking your first doses of buprenorphine is called “induction.” How do you prepare? What happens during induction?

Learn about:

• Preparation steps to start buprenorphine at the right time
• The process of starting buprenorphine
• How and when the dose is typically adjusted
• The potential to move from methadone to buprenorphine
• Potential complications during induction and how to avoid them
• When are you considered to have completed stabilization
• What is detoxification and when is it used