Cutting is not an "on-label" practice that is approved by the FDA but is very commonly recommended by prescribers due to the need to customize doses to patient needs.
When it comes to cutting buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone), the Suboxone film can be cut into small pieces. The medication is probably not completely evenly distributed throughout the film or tablet, so it is okay if you are not super-precise when you cut it. And if you end up taking a little bit “more” on one day and a little “less” on another, that’s okay as the levels in the blood will average out over a few days.
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Randi Sokol, MD, MPH, MMedEd, is an Assistant Professor at the Tufts Family Medicine Residency Program and Instructor at Harvard Medical School. She is Board Certified in both Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine. She earned her B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania, her Medical Degree and Masters in Public Health from Tulane University, completed Family Medicine Residency at UC-Davis, and earned a Masters in Medical Education through the University of Dundee.
