Posted by ShelliR on December 30, 2002, at 18:37:49
In reply to Buprenorphine Approved, posted by Peter S. on December 30, 2002, at 14:21:11
> On October 8, 2002 Subutex (buprenorphine hydrochloride) and Suboxone tablets (buprenorphine hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride) received FDA approval for the treatment of opioid dependence.
>
> Apparently doctors will be able to starat prescribing it starting this month.
Hi Peter,Where did you read that doctors will be able to start prescribing it this month? (And does "this month" mean December 2002 or January 2003)?
My pdoc (who is not anti-buprenorphine) read that it was not going to be approved (or maybe he meant distributed) for another year, in one of his journals. He won't prescribe drugs with codeine for depression anyway, but he's fine with me getting them from my pain doc.
It's hard for psychiatrists to prescribe narcotics for depression because there are so few studies supporting its success. The buprenorphine studies at Harvard/McLean Hospital have really small sample sizes. So that leaves them open for a law suit if the patient turns around and sues them for getting them "addicted". Especially with all the passion about opiate use and the lack of understanding of the concepts of habituation vs. addiction.
Shelli
poster:ShelliR
thread:98310
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021230/msgs/133841.html