What Is Zubsolv? How Does Zubsolv Work?

Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) are critical tools, alongside counseling and rehabilitation, for helping people with opioid use disorder (OUD) overcome addiction.

To date, there are three medications that are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat opioid use disorder (OUD): methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.

Buprenorphine has been found to be one of the most effective Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT). It is safe to take for months or years to promote ongoing recovery.

Buprenorphine is usually prescribed in combination with Naloxone in order to prevent overdose if the medication is misused. The most common form of Buprenorphine-Naloxone comes in a film/strip form called Suboxone. However, it can also come in a tablet form, called Zubsolv. 

What is the Difference Between Suboxone and Zubsolv?

Zubsolv is the same medication as Suboxone, except it comes in a tablet form instead of a film. Both forms need to be dissolved under the tongue (sublingual administration) for the medication to be best absorbed and utilized by the body. Some people make the mistake of thinking that the tablet should be swallowed like a regular pill. This is not the case - it should still be absorbed sublingually just like the film/strip.

Side Effects of Zubsolv

Generally, the side effects associated with Zubsolv are very similar to those of Suboxone.[1] These affect about 1 out of every 10 people who take this medication, according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Side effects can include the following:

• Dizziness/lightheadedness 
• Constipation
• Headache
• Nausea
• Sweating 

If you develop side effects while taking Zubsolv and they become uncomfortable, distracting, or hard to manage, you may need to adjust your dose, so talk to your doctor. Your physician can also recommend options for managing side effects, including lifestyle changes, dietary supplements, and over-the-counter pain medications.

Rarely, someone taking Zubsolv will experience serious side effects. These might include the following:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Seizures
• Abnormal liver function or liver damage

These rare effects should be treated right away. If you are at risk of any of these conditions, talk to your doctor before beginning Zubsolv treatment.

How Do You Get Zubsolv?

‍Just like Suboxone, the only way to get Zubsolv is with a prescription from a medical professional who has received appropriate training to diagnose opioid use disorders and prescribe buprenorphine maintenance medications.

Once you receive a prescription for Zubsolv, your health insurance should cover it. While some state-based health insurance options like Medicaid may prefer Suboxone or generic buprenorphine/naloxone options, many individual health insurance plans now prefer Zubsolv.[2]

Without insurance coverage or copay savings programs, the average cost of Zubsolv is:[3]

• $157.18 for 30 Zubsolv sublingual tablets with 0.7 mg of buprenorphine
• $305.06 for 30 Zubsolv sublingual tablets with 2.9 mg of buprenorphine
• $452.84 for 30 Zubsolv sublingual tablets with 8.6 mg of buprenorphine 
• $600.61 for 30 Zubsolv sublingual tablets with 11.4 mg of buprenorphine

Zubsolv’s manufacturer, Orexo, offers a free trial for up to 30 tablets, or about one month’s supply of daily medication, for new patients regardless of their insurance coverage.[4] This comes in the form of two vouchers, which can be used at the same time to get a full month’s Zubsolv for free. If you take Zubsolv every other day, you can use the vouchers at different times to get 15 sublingual tablets at a time.

Orexo also offers a copay card, so participants pay as little as $10 for Zubsolv prescriptions. There is no tablet minimum and no limitation on how often it can be used in a month.

Learn more

Bicycle Health is dedicated to helping people get off and stay off opioids. To learn more about the success rates and safety of Bicycle Health’s telemedicine addiction treatment in comparison to other common treatment options, call us at (844) 943-2514 or schedule an appointment here.