[Buprenorphine: its ambiguity]

Buprenorphine is a powerful long acting analgesic with partial agonist properties on mu receptors and antagonist properties on kappa receptors. Its addictive power would seem to be inferior to that of morphine, heroin and methadone which are pure opioid agonists. Prescribing and delivery of Buprenorphine has been studied among doctors in the Paris region as with the competent regional authorities representing the national heath service. Some doctors who have been identified by the regional health authority still prescribe Buprenorphine at the request of addicts. Other doctors still prescribe it only rarely as an antalgic. Many addicts once they have obtained tablets designed for the sub-lingual route, dissolve them and inject them intransition from heroin. From the point of view of international conventions Buprenorphine was listed in 1989 on table III of the 1971 Vienna Convention on psychotropes where as pentazocin was listed in 1984. At a national level Buprenorphine remains on list 1 (ex. table A) of poisonous substances.