Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic opioid analgesic derived from thebaine. This powerful partial agonist analgesic is effective in treating pain and may be up to 25 to 40 times more potent than morphine. Since the 1980s it has been widely prescribed for the treatment of moderate to severe pain and is capable of producing significant euphoria. Buprenorphine can be used in heroin substitution treatment as it was found that withdrawal syndrome was milder and produced fewer symptoms than with methadone. As buprenorphine becomes more clinically used in heroin substitution treatment, there is an increasing need for methods suitable for high-volume screening of this drug.
