Introduction

Name

• Buprenorphine.

Class of drug

• Long-acting partial opioid antagonist-agonist.

Description

Chemical name

• [5-alpha,7-alpha(S)]-17-(cyclopropylmethyl)-alpha-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4,5-epoxy-18,19-dihydro-3-hydroxy-6-methoxy-alpha-methyl-6,14-ethenomorphinan-7-methanol.
• 21-cyclopropyl-7-alpha-[(S)-1-hydroxy-1,2,2-trimethylpropyl]-6,14-endo-ethano-6,7,8,14-tetrahydrooripavine.

Molecular formula

• C29H41NO4.

Physical properties

• Colourless, aqueous solution.

Storage requirements

• <25°C.
• Protect from light.
• Discard any solution remaining in opened vial after dose withdrawn.
• CD Schedule 3 drug Controlled drugs: legal requirements for storage, prescription and supply.

Uses

Indications

• May be mixed with acepromazine Acepromazine maleate to produce neuroleptanalgesia Therapeutics: nervous system for minor procedures or pre-operative medication.
• Used to relieve moderate pain.
• Sedative and euphoric effects less marked than those produced by morphine.
• Can be used to prolong analgesia in patients with severe pain where the pain has been controlled with pure opiate agonists Analgesia: opioid.

Administration

Precautions

Interactions

with other drugs

Opioid analgesics

• Do not use simultaneously with these as it is a partial agonist and will antagonize the effects of full agonists (morphine Morphine , pethidine Pethidine ).
• May potentiate sedative and ventilatory depressant effects of other CNS depressants.

Adverse Reactions

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.

Other sources of information

• Based on Small Animal Formulary. Tennant Bryn (1999) 3rd edn. Cheltenham: BSAVA.