Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist used primarily for opioid use disorder treatment & pain management, offering a safer profile compared to full agonist opioids.
Evidence last reviewed: 05 Apr 2026
Not a routine supplement — not recommended for self-directed use.
Information here is educational only, not a recommendation to use. See our Safety page.
Evidence is from research or clinical settings — does not imply safety outside supervised contexts.
The evidence supports buprenorphine's effectiveness in pain management and reducing mortality risk in opioid dependence. However, while it shows promise for Kratom withdrawal, the evidence is limited. Treatment retention rates are good but slightly lower than methadone.
Pain managementAdults with acute postoperative pain · Systematic review and meta-analysisHigh
Buprenorphine provides effective analgesia with a superior safety profile compared to full agonist opioids.
Opioid use disorder treatmentAdults with opioid dependence · Systematic review and meta-analysisHigh
Buprenorphine is effective in reducing illicit opioid use & improving treatment retention compared to methadone.
Mortality risk reductionPeople with opioid dependence · Systematic review and meta-analysisHigh
Buprenorphine significantly reduces mortality risk during opioid substitution treatment.
Treatment retentionAdults with opioid use disorder · Randomized Clinical TrialModerate
Buprenorphine shows good treatment retention, though methadone may have slightly better retention rates.
Management of Kratom withdrawalIndividuals with Kratom dependence · Case series and systematic literature reviewLow
Buprenorphine is effective in managing Kratom withdrawal symptoms.