Whether use during pregnancy is safe is unclear, but use while breastfeeding is probably safe, since the dose the infant receives is 1-2% that of the maternal dose, on a weight basis.Buprenorphine was patented in 1965, and approved for medical use in the United States in 1981. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. In addition to prescription as an analgesic it is  a common medication used to treat opioid use disorders, such as addiction to heroin. In 2017, 14.6 million prescriptions for the medication were written in the United States. Buprenorphine may also be used recreationally for the high it produces, and in the US sublingual formulations are marketed as a film or mixed with naloxone to discourage injection. In the United States, buprenorphine is a schedule III controlled substance. Medical uses
Opioid use disorder
Buprenorphine is used to treat people with opioid use disorder. : 84–7  In the U.S., the combination formulation of buprenorphine/naloxone is generally prescribed to deter injection, since naloxone, an opioid antagonist, causes acute withdrawal if the formulation is crushed and injected. : 99  However, taken orally, the nalaxone has virtually no effect, due to the drugs extremely high first-pass metabolism and low bioavailability (2%). Before starting buprenorphine, individuals are generally advised to wait long enough after their last dose of opioid until they have some withdrawal symptoms to allow for the medication to bind the receptors,since if taken too soon, buprenorphine can displace other opioids bound to the receptors and precipitate an acute withdrawal.
Non-medical
Family and friends
Family members are often uncertain as to what they should be doing when a person is dying. Many gentle, familiar daily tasks, such as combing hair, putting lotion on delicate skin, and holding hands, are comforting and provide a meaningful method of communicating love to a dying person.Family members may be suffering emotionally due to the impending death. Their own fear of death may affect their behavior. They may feel guilty about past events in their relationship with the dying person or feel that they have been neglectful. These common emotions can result in tension, fights between family members over decisions, worsened care, and sometimes (in what medical professionals call the "Daughter from California syndrome") a long-absent family member arrives while a patient is dying to demand inappropriately aggressive care. Family members may also be coping with unrelated problems, such as physical or mental illness, emotional and relationship issues, or legal difficulties. These problems can limit their ability to be involved, civil, helpful, or present. Spirituality and Religion
Spirituality is thought to be of increased importance to an individuals wellbeing during a terminal illness or toward the end-of-life. Pastoral/spiritual care has a particular significance in end of life care, and is considered an essential part of palliative care by the WHO. In palliative care, responsibility for spiritual care is shared by the whole team, with leadership given by specialist practitioners such as pastoral care workers.