BUPRENORPHINE - get facts straight

The Boston Globe on June 3 discusses rally of doctors and addicts for better buprenorphine access. Sure, it's good to see demand for greater access to treatment - in this case buprenorphine. BUT the article refers to claims that do not seem supported by evidence. For example, it states that buprenorphine "unlike methadone doesn't make patients groggy..." That buprenorphine "has the potential to wipe out at least 50% of the national demand for heroin." Further, the article is not all good news for buprenorphine: it notes that "the US Justice Dept reports a black market" for buprenorphine. Ultimately, misinformation and unsupported claims will be counter-productive of the stated aim of buprenorphine advocates - to increase treatment availability.