Injectable Buprenorphine vs Suboxone: What’s the Difference?

Both injectable buprenorphine and Suboxone are medications used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), but they differ in how they’re given, how often they’re taken, and how they help people stay in treatment. Understanding these differences can help you and your care team choose the best path forward in recovery.

What Is Buprenorphine? (Core Ingredient)

Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that attaches to the same receptors in the brain as heroin or prescription opioids but produces limited opioid effects. This helps reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms without causing the same level of euphoria as full opioids. Buprenorphine is safer than many other opioids because it has a “ceiling effect,” meaning higher doses don’t produce greater effects past a certain point.

Suboxone contains buprenorphine combined with naloxone, which is included to discourage misuse if the medication is improperly injected.

Suboxone: Daily Sublingual Medication

Suboxone® is one of the most commonly prescribed forms of buprenorphine. It is taken daily as a film or tablet that dissolves under the tongue, usually at home.

Key points about Suboxone:

• It’s effective at reducing withdrawal symptoms and cravings when taken as prescribed.
• It contains both buprenorphine and naloxone, the naloxone is included primarily to discourage misuse. Porch Light Health
• Suboxone requires a prescription and is part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes counseling and support. Verywell Health
• Daily dosing gives flexibility but also means the person must consistently take the medication each day.

Suboxone is often a first-choice medication because it can be prescribed in many outpatient settings and because it has a long track record of effectiveness when used correctly. Porch Light Health

Injectable Buprenorphine: Monthly or Weekly Injection

Newer formulations like extended-release injectable buprenorphine (for example, Sublocade® and Brixadi®) release buprenorphine slowly over a week or month instead of requiring daily dosing. These are given by a healthcare provider in a clinic or office.

What makes injectable buprenorphine different:

• Once-monthly (or weekly) dosing delivered by a clinician
• Steady levels of medication in the body, reducing the peaks and troughs seen with daily pills
• Fewer opportunities for missed doses or diversion
• Helps improve treatment retention for some people, because patients don’t have to remember a daily dose at home.

Extended-release injectable buprenorphine has been studied in clinical trials and approved by the FDA for moderate-to-severe opioid use disorder.

How the Medications Compare

Feature	Suboxone (Daily)	Injectable Buprenorphine (Monthly/Weekly)
Administration	Daily, self-administered sublingual film/tablet	Weekly or monthly injection by provider
Dosing schedule	Every day	Once weekly or monthly
Medication stability	Fluctuates throughout day	Steady levels over time
Risk of missed doses	Higher (daily compliance needed)	Lower (scheduled clinic visit)
Risk of diversion/misuse	Present (self-administered)	Lower (administered by clinician)
Convenience	Higher day-to-day flexibility	Simpler long-term schedule
Clinical use	Widely available, first-line option	Ideal for adherence challenges or preference

What the Research Says

Clinical reviews suggest that extended-release injectable buprenorphine performs at least as well as daily buprenorphine (including Suboxone) in maintaining treatment success and retention, with some studies showing potential advantages in reducing fentanyl use among people with OUD.

Both formulations reduce cravings and help prevent withdrawal symptoms, but the extended-release version may help people stay in treatment longer by reducing barriers like daily dosing. Recovery Research Institute

Choosing Between Injectable and Suboxone

Decisions about which medication is best should be made with a clinician and based on individual factors, including:

• How reliable daily medication use has been in the past
• Lifestyle and ability to attend clinic appointments
• Personal preference for routine vs clinician-administered care
• Insurance coverage and access
• Past success or difficulty with medication adherence

Both daily Suboxone and monthly/weekly injectables are part of evidence-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and are often combined with counseling, peer support, and behavioral therapies for best outcomes.

How Portland Treatment Supports You

At Portland Treatment in Biddeford, Maine, we tailor treatment plans to meet individual needs, from daily medication management with Suboxone to supervised extended-release injectable buprenorphine when appropriate. Our team provides:

• Detailed medication education
• Support with induction and stabilization
• Counseling and therapy integration
• Personalized monitoring and follow-up

Our goal is to help you feel stable, supported, and confident in your recovery path.

The Takeaway

Both injectable buprenorphine and Suboxone help treat opioid use disorder effectively.

• Suboxone offers a flexible daily dosing option you can take at home.
• Injectable buprenorphine provides a monthly or weekly option with steady levels and fewer opportunities for missed doses.
  Your provider will help determine which approach fits your goals, lifestyle, and medical needs.

Sources

1. National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2024). Buprenorphine. In StatPearls. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459126/
2. National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2025). Buprenorphine extended-release injection (BUP-ER). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546461/
3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2023, May 23). FDA approves new buprenorphine treatment option for opioid use disorder. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-buprenorphine-treatment-option-opioid-use-disorder
4. Recovery Research Institute. (n.d.). Monthly injectable buprenorphine research. Retrieved from https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/monthly-injectable-buprenorphine/