Why Only 2% Get Alcohol Medication in Canada

Clinical Context: This article is reviewed by a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counsellor. It provides educational information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

Let That Number Sink In

Only 2% of people with alcohol use disorder receive approved medications for treatment. Not 20%. Not even 10%. Two percent.

Three medications have been approved for decades to help people reduce or stop drinking: naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. They are effective. They are affordable. They are broadly covered by insurance plans across North America.

And yet, they are almost never prescribed. If you have never heard of any of them, you are not alone. Most Canadians struggling with alcohol have never been offered a single one.

Three Medications Exist. Almost Nobody Gets Them.

Here is what most family doctors in Ontario will never tell you: there are three clinically proven medications for alcohol use disorder, and they have been around for a long time.

Naltrexone: Blocks the opioid receptors that make drinking feel rewarding. When taken before drinking, it gradually reduces cravings over time. This is the medication used in The Sinclair Method (TSM).
Acamprosate: Helps stabilize brain chemistry after someone has already stopped drinking, reducing the discomfort that leads to relapse.
Disulfiram (Antabuse): Creates an unpleasant physical reaction when alcohol is consumed, acting as a deterrent.

All three are backed by extensive clinical research. All three are available in Canada. And yet, the vast majority of people who could benefit from them never even learn they exist.

Why the Gap? Stigma and a Broken System

If these medications work, why does almost nobody get them? The answer is a combination of systemic failures that have persisted for decades.

Stigma in the medical profession. Many physicians still view alcohol use disorder as a moral failing rather than the chronic medical condition it truly is. Medical school curricula in Canada dedicate shockingly little time to addiction medicine. The result: doctors who are uncomfortable discussing drinking with their patients, let alone prescribing targeted medications for it.

Undertrained physicians. A family doctor in Ontario might see dozens of patients a day. Even if they recognize a patient is drinking too much, they often lack the training to prescribe naltrexone or acamprosate confidently. Many default to saying "you should cut back" or referring patients to programs with months-long waitlists.

A system built around abstinence. Most publicly funded treatment in Canada follows the abstinence-only model. If you are not ready to commit to never drinking again on day one, the system has very little to offer you. Medication-assisted approaches like TSM, which allow for gradual reduction, are simply not part of the standard playbook.

What This Means for People in Ontario

In Ontario, the gap between needing help and getting it is especially wide. Public addiction services are stretched thin. CAMH and community programs often have wait times measured in months, not days. And when you finally get in, the options tend to be group counselling or inpatient rehab, both of which require you to rearrange your entire life.

For working professionals in Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, or anywhere else in the province, this creates an impossible situation. You know you need to change your relationship with alcohol. But you cannot take 30 days off work. You cannot sit in a waiting room where you might run into a colleague. And you certainly cannot wait six months for an appointment while your drinking gets worse.

Meanwhile, a medication that could start helping within weeks sits on the shelf, unprescribed, because the system was never built to deliver it.

The Sinclair Method: What Your Doctor Probably Never Told You

The Sinclair Method is a medication-assisted treatment that uses naltrexone in a specific, targeted way. Instead of taking the medication daily, you take it one hour before drinking. The naltrexone blocks the endorphin reward your brain normally gets from alcohol. Over time, your brain unlearns the association between drinking and pleasure.

This process, called pharmacological extinction, is grounded in neuroscience. It does not rely on willpower, motivation, or promises you are not sure you can keep. You do not have to stop drinking on day one. You do not have to attend group meetings. You simply take the medication before you drink and let your brain do the rest.

Most people notice a meaningful reduction in cravings within 4 to 8 weeks. Full extinction, where the compulsive urge to drink is significantly reduced, typically takes 3 to 6 months of consistent use.

TSM has been used successfully by thousands of people worldwide. It has strong clinical evidence behind it. And yet, because it does not fit the abstinence-only model, most Canadian healthcare providers have never even heard of it.

How Heal@Home Closes the Gap

At Heal@Home, we built our practice specifically to address the treatment gap that leaves 98% of people without medication. Here is what that looks like in practice:

No waitlists. We can typically start you on medication within 48 hours of your initial consultation.
No referral needed. You do not need a note from your family doctor. We handle the clinical assessment and prescription internally.
Fully virtual. Every appointment happens from the comfort of your home, your office, or wherever you are in Ontario. No commuting. No waiting rooms.
Real clinical team. You work directly with registered nurse practitioners and ICADC-certified addiction counsellors who specialize in The Sinclair Method.
Complete privacy. We are a private-pay program. Nothing goes on your OHIP record. Your employer, your family doctor, and your insurance company do not need to know.

Recovery should not depend on overcoming systemic barriers just to get started. You should not have to educate your own doctor about a medication that has existed for decades. And you should not have to wait months for treatment when evidence-based help is available right now.

You Deserve Access to Real Support

If you or someone you love is navigating alcohol use disorder, know this: the fact that you have not been offered medication is not your fault. It is a failure of the system, not a reflection of your worthiness for help.

Effective treatment exists. It does not require you to quit cold turkey, attend group meetings, or put your life on hold. It requires a prescription, a plan, and a team that actually understands how to deliver medication-assisted treatment properly.

That is exactly what we do at Heal@Home. Not next month. Now.

Ready to be part of the other 98%?

Book a confidential consultation with our team. No judgment, no pressure, just an honest conversation about whether The Sinclair Method is right for you. Contact us today or call 647-545-6751.

Why Only 2% of People With Alcohol Use Disorder Get Medication