Until a few years ago, methadone was the only drug that was used for heroin addiction treatment in Maryland. But in the last decade or so, buprenorphine has made its presence felt strongly. The reason for the popularity of buprenorphine lies in the manner in which it acts. It is an opioid just like heroin is, and when a person is put on the buprenorphine treatment, the person comes out of the tendency to use heroin because of replacement therapy.

The common people as well as the medical fraternity immediately took a liking to buprenorphine because of the absence of side effects that methadone causes. Buprenorphine is not habit forming in itself, which methadone is. Hence, there is no great risk in buprenorphine administration. In fact, many treatment providers for heroin abuse in Maryland are safely prescribing buprenorphine as an outpatient control remedy. Patients are happy because they now have an outpatient option for treating their addiction, which was not possible in the methadone days.

Recently, the Buprenorphine Initiative has taken great momentum in Maryland, especially due to the FDA approval of two new buprenorphine containing drugs, Suboxone and Subutex. Subutex is a pure buprenorphine formulation, while Suboxone contains an additional substance, naloxone, which is useful for curbing the habitual tendencies for buprenorphine in the user. Today, most replacement therapies for heroin abuse and heroin addiction in Maryland are being replaced with this medication and heroin treatment is becoming much easier than it was earlier. Current researches show a strong decline in the use of methadone as a heroin therapy in the state.