Like most prescription medications, Suboxone expires. If you don’t store the medication properly, you can make it less effective even sooner.
How long is a Suboxone prescription good for? According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a batch is good for 12 months.[1] If you store the medication properly, it should last for a year.
The FDA says Suboxone should be stored at 77 degrees F, but it can get as high as 86 degrees F.[2] If you let your medications get too warm, they could be less effective and expire sooner.
Does Expired Suboxone Still Work?
Maybe, but in general it’s better not to take expired Suboxone. It is possible that, after expiration, it may not work as well or effectively, which could cause you to be under-dosed and experience cravings or even relapse to opioid use. If your medication has expired, talk to your doctor about getting a new prescription.
How Should Suboxone Be Stored?
How you store your medication is important. In general, Suboxone should be stored in a cool, dry and dark place. It should never get wet. It should never be removed from the packages until right before you administer it. It should also never be left out in a place where it could be taken by others, stolen, or even used accidentally consumed by others. If you have young children in the home, you may want to keep your medication locked up or stored in a remote location to avoid accidental ingestion. [5]
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SOURCES
- Application Number 022410Orig1s000. Center for Drug Evaluation Research. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/nda/2010/022410Orig1s000ChemR.pdf. October 2008. Accessed October 2022.
- Suboxone Prescribing Information. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2010/022410s000lbl.pdf. 2002. Accessed October 2022.
- Effects of Time and Storage Conditions on the Chemical and Microbiologic Stability of Diluted Buprenorphine for Injection. Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5517336/. July 2017. Accessed October 2022.
- Suboxone Film. NPS Medicinewise. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5517336/. March 2021. Accessed October 2022.
- Buprenorphine: Dangerous to Children. National Capital Poison Control Center. https://www.poison.org/articles/buprenorphine. Accessed October 2022.
- Buprenorphine Sublingual and Buccal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a605002.html#storage-conditions. January 2022. Accessed October 2022.
Medically Reviewed By Elena Hill, MD, MPH
Elena Hill, MD; MPH received her MD and Masters of Public Health degrees at Tufts Medical School and completed her family medicine residency at Boston Medical Center. She is currently an attending physician at Bronxcare Health Systems in the Bronx, NY where ... Read More
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