Posted by pseudoname on March 7, 2006, at 9:44:03
Anyone thinking of trying the synthetic opioid buprenorphine (Subutex, Suboxone) for depression may not want to hesitate too long. The World Health Organization may recommend that bupe be moved from international CPS-Schedule III (therapeutically useful) to CPS-Schedule II (limited therapeutic value).
The American Psychiatric Association says “the likely result of international rescheduling would be reduced access to buprenorphine for legitimate medical purposes. There is a potential for such a scheduling change to affect domestic drug classification of buprenorphine from [US] Schedule III to [US] Schedule II, which could lead to the ELIMINATION OF OFFICE-BASED BUPRENORPHINE THERAPY and severely restrict treatment access for patients.”
They're talking about its use in office-based addiction therapy, but the re-scheduling could also restrict access to it for depression.
I assume these changes, if enacted, would take a couple years to trickle down to U.S. availability, but a couple years can go by quickly.
Incidentally, the other form of buprenorphine available in the US, the liquid painkiller Buprenex, is a US Schedule V, the LEAST restricted category.
• “APA Opposes WHO Proposal To Tighten Buprenorphine Controls.” Psychiatric News. Mar 3, 2006; 41(5):2 http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/short/41/5/2
poster:pseudoname
thread:616983
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