DRUG INTERACTIONS: The effects of some drugs can change if you take other drugs or herbal products at the same time. This can increase your risk for serious side effects or may cause your medications not to work correctly. These drug interactions are possible, but do not always occur. Your doctor or pharmacist can often prevent or manage interactions by changing how you use your medications or by close monitoring.

To help your doctor and pharmacist give you the best care, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products) before starting treatment with this product. While using this product, do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any other medicines you are using without your doctor's approval.

Some products that may interact with this drug include: certain pain medications (mixed narcotic agonist-antagonists such as pentazocine, nalbuphine, butorphanol), narcotic antagonists (such as naltrexone).

Other medications can affect the removal of buprenorphine from your body, which may affect how buprenorphine works. Examples include cimetidine, nefazodone, St. John's wort, azole antifungals including itraconazole/ketoconazole, calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem/verapamil, HIV drugs such as nelfinavir/ritonavir, macrolide antibiotics including erythromycin, rifamycins including rifampin, certain anti-seizure medicines including carbamazepine, among others.

The risk of serious side effects (such as slow/shallow breathing, severe drowsiness/dizziness) may be increased if this medication is used with other products that may also affect breathing or cause drowsiness. Therefore, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking other products such as alcohol, allergy or cough-and-cold products, anti-seizure drugs (such as phenobarbital), medicine for sleep or anxiety (such as alprazolam, diazepam, zolpidem), muscle relaxants, other narcotic pain relievers (such as codeine), and psychiatric medicines (such as risperidone, amitriptyline, trazodone). Your medications or doses of your medications may need to be changed.

This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use. Share this list with your doctor and pharmacist to lessen your risk for serious medication problems.

OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, remove the patch. This medicine may be harmful if accidentally swallowed. Contact a poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US National Poison Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include: slow/shallow breathing, slow heartbeat, loss of consciousness.

NOTES: Do not share this medication with others. It is against the law and the medication may cause harm to others.

This medication has been prescribed for your current condition only. Do not use it later for another condition unless told to do so by your doctor. A different medication may be necessary in that case.

MISSED DOSE: If you leave a patch on for more than 7 days, remove the patch and apply a new patch as soon as you remember. Do not double the dose to catch up.

STORAGE: Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Do not freeze. Keep all medications away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Read the Medication Guide/Patient Information Leaflet for details. You may also consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Information last revised September 2011. Copyright(c) 2011 First Databank, Inc.