What Do Suboxone/Buprenorphine Pills Look Like?

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Reviewed By Peter Manza, PhD • Updated Jan 15, 2024 • Cited resources

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Brand-name Suboxone tablets or pills are small, orange, and hexagonal. They contain both naloxone and buprenorphine, and they’re marked accordingly.

But plenty of generic Suboxone versions exist, and some manufacturers make pills that contain just buprenorphine without naloxone.

If you’ve purchased Suboxone from a pharmacy, it’s safe. You can ask your pharmacist to explain who manufactured your medication.

If you’ve bought Suboxone illicitly, it may not be safe or contain buprenorphine/naloxone. Dealers know how to disguise their drugs to trick even people who have experience taking Suboxone. Never trust anything you buy from a dealer. There’s no way to ensure these medications are safe, even if you use an online pill identifier. One of the main reasons people might consider buying Suboxone illegally is that they’ve lost their medication and need it immediately. However, there are still safe and legal ways to obtain emergency Suboxone.

Keep reading to learn more about what your Suboxone medications might look like.

Quick Answer

Brand-name Suboxone pills are orange, uncoated, hexagonal and have the word Suboxone along with the pill’s strength on them. Generic buprenorphine/naloxone pills tend to be round, orange or white and have the strength embossed on them.

Suboxone Tablets & Pills: How to Recognize Them

Pharmacies dispense Suboxone in bottles and sealed packages. You may not see them until you prepare for your first dose. Here’s what your medications should look like:

Brand-Name Suboxone

Suboxone pills typically look like this:[1,2]

  • Hexagonal
  • Orange
  • Uncoated
  • Debossed with the word Suboxone and the pill’s strength

Each Suboxone pill typically contains buprenorphine and naloxone in a 4:1 ratio, with buprenorphine being the dominant active ingredient.

‍Two Suboxone tablet doses exist:[2]

  • 2 mg of buprenorphine with 0.5 mg of naloxone: This pill has either “N2” or “B2” embossed on it.
  • 8 mg of buprenorphine with 2 mg of naloxone: This pill has either “N8” or “B8” embossed on it.

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  • Lactose
  • Mannitol
  • Corn starch
  • Citric acid
  • Sodium citrate
  • Povidone 30
  • FD&C Yellow No. 6
  • Magnesium stearate
  • Acesulfame K sweetener
  • Lemon/lime flavor
  • [Warning: You should never, under any circumstances, buy generic or brand-name Suboxone from illicit sources, such as dealers or the dark web. You have no way of confirming that the drug you’re purchasing is actually Suboxone—it could contain potent and dangerous drugs like fentanyl or other chemicals that can harm your health. ]

    Generic Suboxone

    Suboxone pills taken under the tongue are also available in generic form, which could be less expensive.[3]

    These pills are typically round with dosage and strength information embossed on them.

    Generic Suboxone options include the following:

    [source: drugs.com]

    Other Buprenorphine Pills

    Generic versions of buprenorphine without naloxone are also available, though these medications have a higher risk of misuse than Suboxone. This is because naloxone, which is an opioid antagonist, acts as a misuse deterrent by causing precipitated withdrawal if someone injects or snorts their Suboxone.

    A buprenorphine-only brand-name medication is called Subutex, which looks like an oval-shaped white pill. However, Subutex has been discontinued and is no longer available.

    Other buprenorphine pills you might encounter include the following:

    Formulation Color Shape Imprint
    A14 Orange Circular A14
    Actavis 154 White Circular 154
    Actavis 155 White Circular 155
    AN 415 Orange Circular AN 415
    M 2N Orange Hexagonal M 2N
    ML 2 White Hexagonal ML 2
    ML 8 White Hexagonal ML 8
    N2 Logo (Arrow) White Circular Arrow and N2
    N8 Logo (Arrow) White Circular Arrow and N8
    RP n2 Orange Circular RP n2
    RP n8 Orange Circular RP n8
    W21 White Circular W21
    W22 White Circular W22
    2 Pink Hexagonal 2
    54 122 Peach Circular 54 122
    54 375 Peach Circular 54 375
    8 Pink Hexagonal 8
    93 B9 White Capsule 93 B9
    93 5721 White Circular 93 5721
    969 Orange Circular 969
    970 Orange Circular 970

    How Do I Get Suboxone Treatment?

    Suboxone is a prescription medication for opioid use disorder (OUD), so you must work with a doctor to get it. Sometimes, it’s hard for people to get the treatment they need. You may not have a local doctor willing or able to handle your case. Bicycle Health can help.

    Bicycle Health uses an innovative telemedicine appro’ll work with a qualified, compassionate team that can assess your addiction and connect you with a prescription. Visit your local pharmacy with that prescription, and you’re on your way to combatting your addiction.

    Contact us to find out if this treatment model is right for you.

    • Usage
    Peter Manza Headshot
    Reviewed By

    Peter Manza, PhD

    Peter Manza, PhD received his BA in Psychology and Biology from the University of Rochester and his PhD in Integrative Neuroscience at Stony Brook University. He is currently working as a research scientist in Washington, DC. His research focuses on the role of the brain dopamine system in substance use disorders and in aging. He also studies brain function in obesity and eating disorders.

    Sources

    1. Suboxone. RxList. https://www.rxlist.com/suboxone-drug.htm#description. December 2021. Accessed November 2022.
    2. Suboxone Pill Images. Drugs.com. https://www.drugs.com/suboxone-images.html. Accessed November 2022.
    3. “Buprenorphine” Pill Images. Drugs.com. https://www.drugs.com/imprints.php?drugname=buprenorphine. Accessed November 2022.

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