Suboxone, a medication used to treat opioid addiction, contains buprenorphine and naloxone. Standard drug screenings typically do not detect buprenorphine, the active opioid component. A specialized test must be requested to identify its presence in urine or other bodily fluids. Consequently, routine workplace drug tests, for example, will usually not reveal Suboxone use unless specifically designed to do so.
The necessity for specialized testing stems from buprenorphine’s unique chemical structure and the specific antibodies required for detection. Prior to buprenorphine’s widespread use in addiction treatment, drug testing panels were not routinely configured to identify it. As the use of medications like Suboxone has increased, the need for and availability of these specialized tests have also grown, reflecting a broader understanding of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. The development of these tests has enabled clinicians to monitor patient adherence to prescribed Suboxone regimens.
