Should I switch from Suboxone to Sublocade right now?

You may have heard the news about Sublocade, the monthly buprenorphine injection. In fact, some Sublocade podcasts are recommending that doctors switch all of their patients from Suboxone to Sublocade. Is this a good idea?

Do I have to go to a pharmacy to get Sublocade like I do with Suboxone?

Sublocade is only given in a doctor’s office. It is shipped from a specialty pharmacy straight to the doctor. You do not ever have to set foot in a pharmacy if Sublocade is your only medication. If you have bought Suboxone, Subutex, or ZubSolv at a pharmacy, you will be relieved to hear that you can give up your monthly visits to the pharmacy. Some patients have complained about getting suspicious looks from pharmacy staff when they bring in a Suboxone prescription. With Sublocade, you will not have to worry about that anymore.

What if I’m pulled over by the police I have my Suboxone with me?

There are police departments that have protocols in place regarding controlled medication. Police officers are sometimes asked by their superiors to do “pill counts” on the side of the road. They may expect you to have the entire supply of medication in the original pharmacy bottle. While this may seem to be unreasonable, it does happen. With Sublocade, this will not be an issue. With a monthly time-released injection, there is no medication to carry with you. Stories have been told on Sublocade podcasts about this being a major factor for making the switch to Sublocade.

If I listen to one of these podcasts, are they going to try to convince me to switch to Sublocade?

Fortunately, Sublocade podcasts are hosted by people who do not work for the Sublocade company. In fact, pharmaceutical corporations are very cautious about how they promote their product. There are strict laws that prevent them from influencing doctors, so if the podcast you listen to is hosted by a doctor, you do not have to worry about their message being contaminated by payoffs from these companies. Soon, there may be a competing monthly buprenorphine injection available. You can be certain that even the Sublocade podcasts are going to talk about new injectable MAT drugs and inform you about the advantages and disadvantages to all treatment options available.