Is Monthly Sublocade Right for You? 3 Things to Ask
Based on DailyMed: Sublocade (buprenorphine extended-release) injection label
Discover how monthly Sublocade simplifies opioid addiction treatment and recovery. Doctors in the Addiction Medicine practice at Hope Integrative Medicine in Charleston, SC offer this treatment for moderate to severe opioid use disorder.
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In this guide
Ask About Your Schedule
- Are daily doses hard to keep up?
- Would one injection a month help?
- Talk it through with your provider
Ask How to Begin
- Most take daily buprenorphine first
- Then switch once stable
- Ask how long that takes for you
Ask About Support
- Counseling is part of MAT
- Ask about your visit schedule
- Share any worries openly
What the guideline says
- Sublocade is a once-monthly, extended-release injection of buprenorphine for people with moderate to severe opioid use disorder.
- It is given once a month by a health care provider, which removes the daily responsibility of taking medicine.
- Sublocade releases buprenorphine steadily over about 30 days, helping keep levels stable to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
- Because a provider gives the injection, there are no take-home doses, which lowers the risk of the medicine being misused or sold.
- Before Sublocade, patients typically take daily buprenorphine under the tongue, such as Suboxone, for a short time to stabilize their symptoms.
- Sublocade is part of medication-assisted treatment, which combines medicine with counseling and behavioral therapies.
Source: DailyMed: Sublocade (buprenorphine extended-release) injection label
Read the full article: Monthly Sublocade: Simplifying Opioid Addiction Treatment in Charleston, SC →
This guide is general health information and does not replace advice from your own provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually not. Patients typically take daily buprenorphine tablets or films, such as Suboxone, for a short time to stabilize their symptoms. Once stable, the switch to Sublocade can take place.
Sublocade can mean less frequent clinic visits and no daily medicine to manage. At Hope, MAT begins with an in-person assessment in West Ashley and continues with hybrid in-person and virtual care.
By keeping buprenorphine levels steady, it helps reduce cravings and manage withdrawal symptoms, so patients can focus on recovery without daily reminders of treatment.