Thousands of patients have been affected by a nationwide shortage of naltrexone over the last five months. However, we stand ready and able to fulfill new and existing members’ medication orders across all 41 states that we serve.

Although naltrexone remains officially in FDA-recognized shortage, we are beginning to see hopeful signs that there is positive momentum toward more consistent availability. Our conversations with supply chain participants suggest that there has been a significant increase in the quantity of tablets manufactured and released to the US market in the last two months.

The bad news is that those supplies are not being evenly distributed across wholesalers and pharmacies. So, some pharmacies are in good supply and others are still in shortage.

At Oar, we have expanded our partner pharmacy network and are now able to fulfill all new and existing member orders in full. (We are deeply grateful to our members who made due with smaller shipments during the most acute phase of the shortage.)

If you or a loved one is having trouble gaining access to naltrexone, please let us know by emailing us at newsletter@oarhealth.com.

“One year ago I was in Vegas over Thanksgiving. At the time I was trying to quit drinking but Vegas simply proved too much for me. I started drinking again while I was there. From then, until October, I drank more than ever.

My norm became well over a daily pint of whiskey or vodka. I gained weight. I hated myself because of how I looked, for not being ‘stronger,’ and for all the lies and deceit my drinking required. I felt like a loser.

My marriage was suffering due to the lies and because of my drunken behavior. I was also beginning to have some alcohol-related health issues. I was scared and felt very alone, but I didn’t know how to stop.

Then I found Oar, and I started naltrexone in October of this year. The support of Oar, the naltrexone, and counseling with an addiction specialist has been a Godsend. I feel like I’m getting myself, and my life, back on track.

I just returned from Vegas again last night. I’m so proud to say I did not drink and, except for an occasional blip, I did not even think about alcohol. Saturday marked 7 weeks alcohol-free for me. Thank you Oar!"

‍— J, Oar Member

Sunnyside is a mindful drinking app for people who want to drink less with no pressure to quit. It includes tools to set weekly goals, track progress, reflect, and get support from professional coaches as well as community members like you.

We think Sunnyside is a great companion to Oar Health because we share several core principles:

Private: both provide online alternatives to traditional treatment
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Convenient: both allow you to get started right from your smartphone
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Effective: both use evidence-based, scientifically supported approaches
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Judgment-free: both support goals of moderation and sobriety

Alcohol Use Disorder Can Be Treated With An Array of Medications — But Few People Have Heard of Them | The Conversation
“I’m a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist, and for the past 15 years, my research has focused on evaluating medications for alcohol use disorder. Over that time, I have seen substantial changes in the scientific understanding and treatment of alcohol use disorder. I am optimistic that our existing medications can reach more people with this condition, that we can better target these medications to the patients most likely to benefit from them, and that new effective medications are on the horizon.”

A Look At The Latest Alcohol Death Data And Change Over The Last Decade | Kaiser Family Foundation
‍“Alcohol deaths increased steadily over the past decade with sharp rises during the pandemic years. Overall, the national alcohol death rate has risen 70% in the past decade, accounting for 51,191 deaths in 2022, up from 27,762 deaths in 2012.”

Alcohol Is Dangerous. So Is “Alcoholic” | The Harvard Gazette
“Specialists and advocates have sought with some success to revise how we talk about substance use and those struggling to overcome it, not just to reduce stigma but also to combat bias among medical professionals. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the term ‘alcohol use disorder’ is now preferable to ‘alcohol abuse,’ ‘alcohol dependence,’ and ‘alcoholism.’”
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Abstinence vs. Drinking in Moderation | Psychiatric Times
“Abstinence is the prevalent recommendation in the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD), but there is also evidence supporting the benefits of drinking in moderation.”

Getting Help for Alcohol, Drug Abuse Tougher for Rural Americans | U.S. News & World Report
“‘Rural areas are continuously plagued with a shortage of behavioral health providers and more limited health resources overall,’ senior author Wendy Xu, an associate professor of health services management and policy at Ohio State University, said in a news release. ‘These challenges are compounded by the fact that most insurance plans use managed care arrangements, some of which use highly limited provider networks.’”

Ozempic Maker Novo Nordisk Says It Will Study Drug’s Effects On Alcohol Consumption, But Isn’t Focused on Addiction | CNN
“The company plans to start assessing the effects of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, and other medicines on alcohol consumption this month in a newly announced clinical trial in alcohol-related liver disease – although cutting drinking isn’t the study’s main goal.”