Suboxone (Buprenorphine) drug testing
Qualified technicians use a suboxone test strip during a urine drug test in the workplace, a drug treatment facility, or a clinic. In the workplace, the purpose of using a suboxone (buprenorphine) drug testing is to identify which personnel is high with the substance. This is to ensure the health and safety of all employees.
Buprenorphine is an FDA-approved drug for treating opioid addiction. It contains two substances – buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine, an agonist, binds to and activates certain receptors on cells. Naloxone, on the other hand, reverses the effects brought about by opioids.
In rehab or clinic, a technician uses suboxone (buprenorphine) drug testing to determine if he should take his opioid treatment.
There have been instances when a user shares his Buprenorphine supply with others, leaving little to curb his drug cravings. So when his urges resurface, he resorts to using opioids.
On the other hand, overdosage is likely to happen if the user takes more than what is prescribed. This can lead to a dependency on suboxone.
Why do doctors prescribe this drug for treating another drug?
Opioids can destroy lives and kill. But people who want to quit using it find it difficult to do so. It is not only because the drug is highly addictive. Opioid withdrawal can even lead to death due to severe vomiting and diarrhea.
Other symptoms of opioid withdrawal, though less life-threatening, should still be addressed immediately. This is to ensure that the user’s health and well-being won’t be compromised.
Insomnia, for example, when not resolved immediately, can lower a person’s immune system due to sleep deprivation. Muscle pains, if left unresolved, can prevent a person from living a normal life. If left untreated, fever can lead to a variety of health complications that may ultimately lead to death.
Can Buprenorphine Kill?
According to the American Medical Association (AMA), more than 35 states have “reported increases in opioid-related mortality” since the pandemic began. And the best way to prevent deaths from opioid use is to treat the addiction with buprenorphine.
Can buprenorphine kill? Technically speaking, if a person uses it as prescribed, no, it can’t kill him. But if a child or a non-user takes it accidentally, then their lives may be at risk.
This is why buprenorphine users should keep their opioid medication in a safe place, away from the hands of children.
Buprenorphine strip directions for drug testing
Here’s how to use a buprenorphine testing strips to ensure no tampering takes place.
- Collect the urine sample. Please take note of its temperature. A good sample should be 90 to 100 degrees taken four minutes after production. If the sample is too cold, there’s a chance that the person involved tampered it with cold liquid. It could also mean he substituted it with another person’s urine. A hot sample, meanwhile, might mean the person used a hand warmer to mask the tampering.
- Inspect the sample’s appearance. If it looks soapy, the person added soap or dishwashing liquid. A sample with undissolved granules in it, on the other hand, can mean table salt or powdered dental tablets was added. The color of natural urine ranges from pale yellow to dark amber. If the sample is too dark, there’s a possibility that the person added nitrites. If it’s too light, there’s a chance that vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or ascorbic acid was added.
- Carefully dip the suboxone strip into the sample. Make sure that the urine does not go above the max line.
- Allow the suboxone strip to absorb the urine for about 10-15 seconds.
- After 15 seconds, remove the test strip from the sample. Lay it on a clean, flat surface.
- A negative result shows two lines. One line is visible in the control region, the other in the test region.
- A positive result only shows a line in the control region.
- An invalid result shows no line at all.
Recent studies show the effectiveness of suboxone for treating opioid addiction. It may seem like your fighting a drug with another drug, but then, it’s the lesser of two evils.
If you or a loved one is using buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid addiction, performing a buprenorphine testing occasionally is ideal. The same goes for drug treatment facilities and clinics. This will make sure that the person involved is using his medication properly.
Need buprenorphine strips for drug testing? Visit the Ovus Medical store today. We carry more than 20 FDA-approved, CLIA-waived drug testing strips you can choose from.