Buprenorphine infrequently found in fatal overdose in New York City

•We tested unintentional drug overdose decedents’ blood specimens for buprenorphine.•Death certificates were linked to toxicology results.•Two deaths (2%) were positive for norbuprenorphine but not cause of death.•Buprenorphine was infrequently found in drug overdose deaths.•Findings suggest that buprenorphine involved overdose is a rare event.