Sublocade® replaces daily sublingual films or tablets with a single monthly injection, eliminating adherence fatigue, daily withdrawal fluctuations, and risks associated with lost or stolen prescriptions.

Key clinical benefits include:

• Uninterrupted Craving Protection: Maintains constant, therapeutic buprenorphine blood levels 24/7 without the daily peak-and-trough feelings of oral medications.
• 14x Higher Treatment Success: Clinical studies show patients on extended-release buprenorphine are significantly more likely to remain opioid-free compared to non-medication interventions.
• Zero Dental Damage Risks: Bypasses oral dissolution entirely, preventing tooth decay and enamel erosion linked to daily sublingual films.
• Enhanced Treatment Convenience: Eliminates the necessity of daily dosing rituals, pharmacy visits, and storing controlled medications at home.

Evidence & Authoritative Reference: According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), long-acting injectable formulations like Sublocade® dramatically improve patient retention rates in MAT programs and lower the incidence of fatal overdose compared to daily oral regimens (NIDA Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorder).

Yes. FDA safety guidelines require that patients be stabilized on a transmucosal buprenorphine product (such as oral Suboxone®) for at least 7 days before receiving their first Sublocade® injection.

This induction step ensures that your body tolerates buprenorphine without adverse reactions before a long-acting monthly dose is administered. Once tolerance is confirmed, your provider can administer your initial 300 mg Sublocade® injection during your scheduled clinic visit.

Sublocade® is injected under the skin (subcutaneously) into the abdominal area by a certified healthcare provider and cannot be purchased at retail pharmacies or self-administered.

To prevent life-threatening complications—such as intravenous injection into a vein—Sublocade is distributed under a federal safety program called the Sublocade REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy).

• Injection Process: Injected exclusively into the subcutaneous tissue of the stomach/abdomen.
• Post-Injection Depot: A small lump will form under the skin where the medicine solidifies. This lump gradually shrinks over the month as the medication absorbs into your bloodstream. Do not rub, massage, or press on the injection area.

If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, you should discuss your treatment options with your addiction specialist.

• Pregnancy: Buprenorphine exposure during pregnancy can result in Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS), a manageable and treatable newborn condition.
• Breastfeeding: Small amounts of buprenorphine pass into breast milk. Providers monitor nursing infants for drowsiness or poor feeding.

Evidence & Authoritative Reference: Guidelines from SAMHSA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) emphasize that maintaining medication-assisted treatment during pregnancy significantly improves maternal and infant health outcomes compared to untreated opioid dependence or unmonitored withdrawal (SAMHSA Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant Women With OUD).

You must avoid alcohol, central nervous system (CNS) depressants, benzodiazepines, and other non-prescribed opioids while receiving Sublocade®.

Combining buprenorphine with alcohol, sedatives, or street drugs significantly increases the risk of severe respiratory depression, profound sedation, coma, or fatal overdose. Always disclose all prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements to your medical provider.

Yes. Sublocade® is covered by most state Medicaid programs, Medicare, and commercial insurance plans.

Ideal Option’s billing specialists work directly with your insurance company to obtain required prior authorizations (PAs) and coordinate delivery from specialty pharmacies to minimize wait times for your injection.

Before receiving Sublocade injections, you should have previously taken and tolerated a form of buprenorphine without significant adverse effects. 

Although rare, Sublocade, like any buprenorphine product, can cause liver injury, especially in patients with pre-existing liver disease. Regular liver function monitoring before and during treatment is recommended. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your provider before receiving Sublocade. Sublocade cannotbe immediately discontinued and may block the effect of opioid pain-relieving medications, complicating the management of acute pain. Additionally, if you stop taking Sublocade, your body will be more sensitive to opioids in the future, and using the same amount as before could lead to overdose or death. 

No, Sublocade is not available in retail pharmacies. It can only be ordered and administered by a healthcare provider in order to maintain temperature and DEA regulations.

Do not take Sublocade with other opioid medications, benzodiazepines, alcohol, or other central nervous system depressants, as this can cause drowsiness, breathing problems, coma, and/or death.

Always inform your healthcare provider about all the medications you take, including over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Eligible patients with Medicaid of New Mexico, BCBS NM Turquoise Medicaid, UHC NM Turquoise Medicaid, Molina NM Turquoise Care or Presbyterian NM Turquoise Medicaid can typically get their first Sublocade shot within one week. Patients with other insurance plans will need to wait 2-4 weeks to allow for insurance prior authorization and shipment.

Eligible patients with Medicaid of Oregon, PacificSource CCO Central OR Region, PacificSource CCO Columbia Gorge Region, PacificSource CCO Legacy Plan, Trillium Community Plan, Intercommunity Health Care Network CCO or Care Oregon can typically get their first Sublocade shot within one week. Patients with other insurance plans will need to wait 2-4 weeks to allow for insurance prior authorization and shipment.

Eligible patients with an unrestricted Alaska Medicaid plan can typically get their first Sublocade shot within one week. Patients with other insurance plans will need to wait 2-4 weeks to allow for insurance prior authorization and shipment.

Eligible patients with Medicaid of Washington Provider One, Molina Health Care, United Healthcare Community Plan of WA, or Coordinated Care can typically get their first Sublocade shot within one week. Patients with other insurance plans will need to wait 2-4 weeks to allow for insurance prior authorization and shipment.