IA nursing board and Suboxone therapy?????

OB4Me2 · Feb 2, 2012

Hello to all recovering nurses. My question is does anyone know if Suboxone can be taken while on probation going through first lab.

Hello! I wanted to respond to your post. I take Suboxone and test with First Lab. I am licensed through the Ohio board of nursing. If you have questions as to whether you can take it or not, I would ask your monitor with the IA board, or if you do not have monitor, then call the IA board and ask if Suboxone may be taken. It is usually a decision for the board, not First Lab. I wish you the best of luck!

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 3, 2012

I second that--the BON is the one with the final ruling on suboxone use. All First Lab is going to do is tell the BON if/what you tested positive for; it's up to the BON to determine if that's OK.

ls66 · Feb 5, 2012

Thank you both for your responses to my question that was unclear. What I meant to say was that I wondered how the bon viewed taking Suboxone in Iowa. I've read other responses to the use of Suboxone and feel so sorry for those nurses in the states that don't allow Suboxone to be used. I can't understand how the use of Suboxone would "impair" anyone who's been addicted to heroin or any strong opiate. For me, Suboxone provides me a life where I feel normal every day without going through the torture of cravings, detox symptoms and has never impaired my ability to do anything. I would be much more impaired without Suboxone and personally I would welcome any recovering nurse on Suboxone vs heroin or other prescription opiates. An impaired nurse on either Heroin or other opiates would be extremely dangerous but so would a nurse that was detoxing off of the above. I would think that a nurse addicted to opiates would be far more impaired without Suboxone or the opiate that she/ he was addicted.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 5, 2012

Again, you'd have to ask the BON what their views on Suboxone are. I don't know how your particular state feels about it...I know some states are all for it, others aren't because of its abuse/impairment potential.

I've worked with a couple of nurses who used Suboxone (and probably a few more I didn't know about) and I was never able to find fault with their performance. I have also worked as a nurse in Suboxone programs. I personally have no objection to Suboxone use if it's used in properly (i.e., not abused) and if used in conjunction with a recovery plan, as Suboxone alone isn't the answer to long-term recovery, nor is it meant to be used forever.