New Jersey paramedics may now offer another medication to overdosed patients revived with naloxone, but some are taking a wait-and-see approach.
N.J. Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal authorized the state's 1,900 paramedics to carry buprenorphine, an oral medication used to treat the acute symptoms of opioid withdrawal.
Commonly called "bupe" on the street, or by its brand name, Suboxone, the medication is used in combination with other therapy to treat opioid use disorder.
Administered as a film on the tongue, or as a tablet absorbed under the tongue, the medication begins relieving withdrawal symptoms within 10 to 15 minutes, and can prevent a patient from experiencing a "high" for 24 to 36 hours.
“Buprenorphine is a critical medication that doesn't just bring folks into recovery — it can also dampen the devastating effects of opioid withdrawal,” Elnahal said. “That's why equipping our EMS professionals with this drug is so important."