The oxidation of buprenorphine on a carbon paste electrode has been studied using voltammetric techniques under both semi-infinite linear diffusion and hydrodynamic conditions. By applying a simple electrode pretreatment a good reproducibility of the current signal is obtained (R.S.D. = 0.85%, n = 6 for a 1.0 x 10(-5) M buprenorphine concentration). The limit of detection was found to be 2.0 x 10(-7) M. The voltammetric method developed for the determination of buprenorphine in pharmaceutical preparations was examined for its applicability to liquid and solid preparations.