? Question About Buprenorphine Longevity

Hi all,

Due to UK prescribing laws, I can only get buprenorphine in pre-measured syringe doses from our vet.

How long does the buprenorphine remain viable in a pre-loaded syringe? (I keep them in the fridge.)



Mogs
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I don't know, unfortunately. Maybe call the vet office to see if they can help?

And totally off-topic, I hope you're taking care of yourself as well as darling Saoirse. Please don't spend a lot of your emotional energy on us. You're so good at explaining things and helping people but I don't want you to run yourself ragged.

 

Like that's gonna be informative. Why d'ya think I asked the question here!

They told me it only lasts for 3 days once drawn up. I got stuck and gave Saoirse a dose that was 'older' than that and it worked OK (pupils dilated a bit - as normal). I store all her meds and supplements very carefully, but I was wondering about the bupe for both efficacy and hygiene reasons. (They dispense it in capped syringes which I then keep refrigerated.)

With the agoraphobia I need someone to collect the Rx for me and trying to arrange that sometimes twice a week is problematic. If I could get enough for a week or so that would be a great help.

Aw, thank you for minding me, Shane. You know me well - I am trying to do too much again. Consider me told.


Mogs
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Its my understanding that it will vary depending on the source of the burenorphine. When I've asked my vet about some I had she explained to me why the expiry would differ but it was a long time ago. The stuff I've gotten from my vets office did not last very long drawn. The stuff I got from the referral oncologist was drawl into syringes and had an expiration date printed on them for I believe around 8 months. We also only got it from them once a week so it surely lasted more than a 3 days. The stuff from the compounding pharm is not drawn and has a year expiry on it and states on it to not refrigerate it.

 

@Melanie and Smokey -

Thank you very much for that valuable information, Melanie. I'll keep them somewhere cool but not in the fridge from now on. I've got an airtight container I can store them in. I found it reassuring to hear from someone else who has safely used their bupe over longer period than three days.

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Totally understand.

I love seeing you on the board but please don't let us consume you! I know how draining it can be, especially if one has one's own health to deal with, and then if one is also trying to look after a sick pet.... If you don't behave, I'll remind you again.

 

I don't think refrigerating will hurt it. The shelter I volunteer at keeps theirs in the fridge (they also use it over a much longer time than 3 days). I just found it odd that when I get it from the actual pharmacy, it says different than what the vets are saying. I don't ever refrigerate mine, just store in a dark place, and it is fine so I think you would be fine the way you are handling it. I don't know if the UK formula differs from the US at all.

 

@Melanie and Smokey -

Again, thank you for sharing your experiences with bupe. For information, the formulation our vets use is Vetergesic. I did check online for storage information. All I could find was for the injectable and they advise that it should be stored below 25 degrees Celsius.


Mogs
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I've gotten bupe compounded, and they told me it comes in either water or oil based formulations. At one point they told me to put the water based one in the fridge, but now they don't. It does say it lasts 3 months out of the fridge and I've been told it's a bit longer if refrigerated. The stuff we get for prefilled syringes is Buprenex.

 

@Wendy&Neko- Thank you for the very helpful information about storage, longevity and also about the different formulations.