Whether you’re in an addiction treatment program or a sober living home, regular drug tests are a typical part of treatment and recovery. Drug tests not only tell your treatment provider whether or not you’ve remained sober, but they also serve as an incentive to stay away from drugs. You may also have to take a drug test when you are searching for new employment.
If you are being treated for opioid addiction, there is a chance that you’re taking Suboxone as part of your treatment program. Although buprenorphine, one of the active ingredients in Suboxone, is a partial opioid, it will not show up on a majority of drug tests. It will only show up on drug tests that screen for buprenorphine and/or its major metabolites, buprenorphine-3-glucuronide and norbuprenorphine-3-glucuronide.
Regardless, as long as you are taking your Suboxone as prescribed, you don’t have to worry about it showing up on a drug test. If you have to take a test for your rehab center, they will expect you to test positive for your Suboxone, and doing so demonstrates that you’ve been taking your medication. If you have to take a drug test for employment, you can provide the testing administrator with a copy of your prescription so that they cannot use your results against you.
Understanding Suboxone
Suboxone is a prescription medication that contains buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist-antagonist, which means it mimics the effects of some opioid drugs, but does not produce feelings of euphoria because it doesn’t fully activate opioid receptors. Buprenorphine can help balance brain chemistry, alleviate opioid withdrawal symptoms, and prevent relapse.
Naloxone, on the other hand, is a full opioid agonist, meaning it blocks the euphoric effects of opioid drugs. Naloxone is added to buprenorphine to prevent the misuse of the medication. If you were to inject buprenorphine instead of taking it as directed, you would go into sudden precipitated withdrawal.
You should never stop taking Suboxone unless directed to do so by your doctor. Suddenly stopping Suboxone can result in withdrawal symptoms and create a potential for relapse. Always take Suboxone exactly as you have been instructed by your healthcare provider.
Do Drug Tests Screen for Suboxone?
Whether or not Suboxone will show up on a drug test depends on the type of drug panel used. Most standard 5, 10, and 12-panel drug tests do not screen for buprenorphine, but a specific panel can be added if the test administrator wants to screen for buprenorphine. This usually only occurs in a treatment setting in which your healthcare provider wants to confirm whether or not you are taking your medication as prescribed.
It is also important to note that Suboxone should not cause false positives for other opioids because it is broken down into different metabolites than opioid drugs.
The only time when Suboxone should show up on a drug test is if a separate immunoassay test screens for it. Immunoassays use liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, which is an expensive process that must be performed in a lab. As a result, it is very rare to come across a test that will detect Suboxone.
Should You Let Your Employer Know If You’re Taking Suboxone Before a Drug Test?
Employers have a right to drug test current and prospective employees, and they aren’t required to disclose what type of test they are using or what drugs will be screened for. While it is unlikely that Suboxone will show up on a drug test, it may be a good idea to tell your employer and test administrator that you are taking Suboxone. You should also bring an official letter from your doctor or proof of your prescription for verification.
Under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), employers are not legally permitted to discriminate against people who are being prescribed Suboxone or other MAT medications.
How Long Can Suboxone Stay in Your System?
Buprenorphine has a long elimination half-life. The half-life refers to how long it takes half of a single dose to leave your body. Buprenorphine’s half-life is around 37 hours. It takes 4-5 half-lives for a drug to leave your body, meaning buprenorphine can stay in your system for more than 8 days.
When Suboxone is metabolized in the liver, buprenorphine is broken down to buprenorphine-3-glucuronide and norbuprenorphine-3-glucuronide. These metabolites can stay in your system for longer than the drug itself. As a result, advanced drug tests that screen for buprenorphine can detect Suboxone in your system for more than eight days.
For the average individual, Suboxone will show up in a urine test for up to two weeks, a saliva test for about a week, and a hair test for up to three months.
Learn More About Suboxone and Recovery
Suboxone is a powerful tool in the fight against opioid addiction. At New You Sober Living, our program encompasses a comprehensive and compassionate approach to helping individuals on their journey to recovery. Our team is dedicated to providing personalized care and support throughout the entire treatment process.
Throughout the treatment program, patients may be allowed to receive carefully monitored Suboxone prescriptions, which help to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings for opioids. The controlled administration of Suboxone allows our patients to focus on their recovery journey without being overwhelmed by the distressing effects of withdrawal.
Combined with behavioral therapy, support groups, and holistic care, Suboxone can help pave the way for long-term recovery. To learn more about our recovery programs, please contact us today.
References:
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA): Buprenorphine, Retrieved August 2023 from https://www.samhsa.gov/medications-substance-use-disorders/medications-counseling-related-conditions/buprenorphine
- National Institutes of Health: Buprenorphine, Retrieved August 2023 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459126/
- National Institutes of Health: A urinalysis-based study of buprenorphine and non-prescription opioid use among patients on buprenorphine maintenance, Retrieved August 2023 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3284030/
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