Buprenorphine (BUP) is a partial opiate agonist dosed sublingually for both supervised opiate withdrawal and maintenance for opiate dependence. Until recently, methadone has been the mainstay of pharmacological treatment for opiate-dependent persons with HIV infection. In October, 2002, buprenorphine (BUP) was approved for opiate maintenance and can be prescribed by primary care physicians. It is anticipated that many HIV specialists will begin prescribing BUP for their HIV+ patients on ARVs with a history of opiate dependence. This will continue to increase in importance as a method of treatment for this patient population for the following reasons: 1) Multiple federal programs are working to encourage the use of BUP in primary care, especially HIV primary care, settings. The goal of these programs is to increase opiate treatment slots across the country. 2) Many methadone programs have wait lists or regulations (e.g., daily dosing) which may not be possible for some patients. BUP, with its flexibility in dosing and ease of use, will increasingly become a first line in the treatment of opioid dependence.