PROJECT ARCHIVE

Patient Information Materials for Suboxone Use

Suboxone® is used to treat people with problematic opioid use. Suboxone® comes in the form of a single pill with two active ingredients, buprenorphine and naloxone. Usually prescribed by the physician during an emergency department visit, it is meant to be started after discharge when the patient is at home. Sometimes, patients are given Suboxone with very limited patient information and instructions on how to begin the medication at home. The standard Suboxone® prescription has a 3-day course. The tablet must be placed under the patient’s tongue until it dissolves fully, with careful adherence to the frequency and dosage. Without assistance from a doctor or other medical professional, patients often become disoriented, causing them to take their medication incorrectly which prolongs recovery. We designed patient information materials for physicians to give to patients who were prescribed Suboxone in hospital emergency departments in British Columbia. These materials involve dosing information and instructions on how to take the medication correctly. The patient information materials were designed and developed by the DHRIL and implemented in BC Interior Health. In addition, we also developed physician guides, brochures and posters to promote the program among health care staff at the hospital.

Art Direction: Gillian Harvey
Design & Production: Rachel Schuck
Client: BC Interior Health
For more information about this project, contact dhril@ualberta.ca.