Drug Implant As New Therapy For Opioid Dependence

A drug for opioid dependence that is inserted under a person’s skin and lasts for six months is a positive addition to the array of existing treatment options, says Dr. Seonaid Nolan, an addictions medicine doctor at St. Paul’s Hospital and clinical researcher with the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU).

The matchstick-sized rods, which contain the drug Suboxone, are implanted by physicians under the skin of the arm. The therapy, which goes under the brand name Probuphine, has been approved by Health Canada.