Evolving use of buprenorphine in the treatment of addiction.

Two formulations of buprenorphine were approved in the United States for treatment of opioid dependence in 2002. This newly available treatment offers a safe and effective alternative to addicted individuals who are not currently in treatment. This article focuses on the steps that physicians and patients may take, as of this writing, if they should wish to participate in this new treatment. The content is clinically oriented and intelligible to an audience that is not medically trained. In the article, buprenorphine is placed in context of the standard opioid pharmacotherapy of methadone maintenance, and the expansion of opioid pharmacotherapy into the office setting is described.