Abuse potential of buspirone and related drugs

Scientific evidence regarding the drug abuse potential of buspirone and gepirone is reviewed. In animal studies, the pharmacologic profile of buspirone differs from that of other classes of abused drugs. Buspirone does not share discriminative stimulus effects with abused depressants, and it is not self-administered. New data are presented showing a lack of reinforcing effects for gepirone in rhesus monkeys when the drug was evaluated in an intravenous drug self-administration procedure. Studies of the acute effects of buspirone conducted in human subjects provide no evidence of abuse potential, and there is no indication that the drug has been abused to any extent since being marketed in December 1986. Available evidence suggests that the azapirones buspirone and gepirone have little, if any, potential for abuse.