Which of the following is a Schedule III example?

• A. Alprazolam
• B. Methylphenidate
• C. Pentobarbital
• D. Buprenorphine

Answer: (D)

Understanding drug scheduling hinges on abuse potential and medical use. Schedule III drugs have a lower potential for abuse than Schedule II and have accepted medical uses, but can still lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.

Buprenorphine fits this because it is an opioid with legitimate medical uses (including pain management and treatment of opioid dependence) and acts as a partial agonist, which generally carries a lower abuse risk than full opioid agonists in Schedule II. That balance of accepted medical use with a moderate potential for dependence places it in Schedule III.

In contrast, alprazolam is in Schedule IV due to an even lower potential for abuse, methylphenidate is Schedule II because it has a high abuse potential with medical use, and pentobarbital is Schedule II due to its high abuse potential and medical uses. So the Schedule III example here is buprenorphine.