{"id":632660,"date":"2025-06-25T15:39:28","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T19:39:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=632660"},"modified":"2026-05-11T12:43:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T16:43:27","slug":"buprenorphine-without-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/buprenorphine-without-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"How much does buprenorphine cost without insurance?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buprenorphine<\/span><\/a> is a generic prescription opioid approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat acute or chronic pain and opioid addiction. As a generic medication, buprenorphine is administered as sublingual tablets, dissolvable film, transdermal patches, and injections. Although most insurance companies cover buprenorphine in some form or another, purchasing the drug without insurance could be costly. Here\u2019s what you should know if you need to budget for the cost of buprenorphine without insurance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Forms of buprenorphine<\/span><\/h2>\n

Buprenorphine comes in several forms, including transdermal patches placed on the skin, films dissolved in the mouth, tablets dissolved under the tongue, and injections given by a healthcare professional. In some forms, buprenorphine is combined with another opioid treatment drug, naloxone, to discourage abuse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The form and dosage strength will depend on the condition being treated. Sublingual buprenorphine tablets and extended-release buprenorphine injections are FDA approved for opioid use disorder (OUD). Buprenorphine patches, buprenorphine injections, and <\/span>Belbuca<\/span><\/a> buccal films are lower-dose buprenorphine formats FDA-approved for chronic or severe pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Transdermal patches contain only buprenorphine and are sold as either generic buprenorphine or brand-name <\/span>Butrans<\/span><\/a>. Patches are usually applied once a week and are prescribed for pain in different dosages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Buprenorphine is often combined with the opioid receptor blocker naloxone, such as in <\/span>buprenorphine-naloxone<\/span><\/a> buccal films, when used for OUD. The sublingual tablets, either with or without naloxone, are <\/span>widely used<\/span><\/a> in opioid dependence treatment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to <\/span>Chad Elkin<\/span><\/a>, MD, addiction medicine physician and founder and president at <\/span>National Addiction Specialists<\/span><\/a>, buprenorphine is most commonly prescribed to reduce opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for opioid use disorder.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How much does buprenorphine cost without insurance?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Without insurance, the average cost for 60, 8 mg sublingual tablets is around<\/span> $431. At the <\/span>target daily maintenance dosage of 16 mg per day<\/span><\/a>, 60 tablets are a 30-day supply. The annual buprenorphine cost could be over $5,000. This is an important factor for people considering buprenorphine, as many people receiving treatment for OUD need to be on buprenorphine for <\/span>several months or years<\/span><\/a> before they are able to taper off this medication.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Elkin says several factors can influence your out-of-pocket expense for buprenorphine, including:<\/span><\/p>\n