Naltrexone in Canada
Oral naltrexone is established; coverage is provincial. Canadian guidance supports oral naltrexone for alcohol use disorder, but the amount a person pays depends on the province, plan, product, and eligibility. Check the live formulary entry—not a national price estimate.
Start with care; check payment separately
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) includes naltrexone among first-line medicines for alcohol use disorder and provides primary-care prescribing guidance. That clinical role is a separate question from public coverage.
Naltrexone is approved by Health Canada and available in generic form under multiple brand names: Apo-Naltrexone (Apotex), ReVia (Bausch Health), and Naltrexone Hydrochloride Tablets USP (various generic manufacturers). The Ontario Drug Benefit formulary lists these products at CAD $2.8075 per 50 mg tablet (the amount the Ministry of Health pays).
Provincial and territorial drug plans determine coverage individually, and requirements can change. CAMH guidance describes an Ontario Limited Use pathway, while the live Ontario formulary results checked 26 July 2026 list naltrexone products as General Benefit. Patients and prescribers should verify the current product-specific entry rather than rely on a single national coverage statement. Canada also has Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinics that may provide walk-in addiction care, including naltrexone assessment and prescribing.
How to access naltrexone in Canada
Multiple pathways may be available through Canada’s provincial healthcare systems.
- Family doctor / GP. A family doctor can assess alcohol use and prescribe naltrexone. CAMH guidance explicitly supports primary-care prescribing. Before dispensing, the prescriber or pharmacist should check the current provincial benefit status, eligibility rules, and stock for the exact product.
- RAAM clinic (walk-in). Rapid Access Addiction Medicine clinics provide low-barrier addiction care in several provinces. Services, hours, referral requirements, and same-day prescribing vary by location, so verify the local clinic before travelling.
- Addiction medicine specialist. For complex cases or consideration of injectable naltrexone, referral to an addiction medicine physician or psychiatrist may be appropriate. Provincial coverage, referral requirements, and waiting times vary by region and service.
- Telehealth / virtual care. Some clinicians offer telephone or video consultations for assessment and follow-up. Availability, prescribing rules, and any patient charge depend on the province, provider, and clinical circumstances.
Provincial and territorial naltrexone coverage — verify current product records
| Province/Territory | Coverage type | |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | The live Ontario Drug Benefit results checked 26 July 2026 list 50 mg naltrexone products at CAD $2.8075 per tablet and show General Benefit. CAMH’s clinical guidance still describes an older Limited Use pathway, so verify the current product detail. | Live listing: General Benefit |
| British Columbia | PharmaCare covers naltrexone under Fair PharmaCare and Plans B, C, F, G and W as Limited Coverage: for alcohol use disorder, with behavioural therapy as needed, approved for one year through a Collaborative Prescribing Agreement signed by the prescriber (checked 22 October 2026). | Limited Coverage |
| Alberta | Check the current benefit status of naltrexone 50 mg (APO-Naltrexone) in Alberta’s interactive Drug Benefit List; the record is linked in the sources. Alberta Health Services also operates addiction services, but local access varies. | Check the record |
| Quebec | The RAMQ coverage search lists naltrexone hydrochloride 50 mg tablets (Apo-Naltrexone and Jamp) as covered by the public prescription drug insurance plan (checked 22 October 2026). | Covered |
| All other provinces and territories | Coverage details and authorization mechanisms vary. Contact the relevant public drug plan or insurer and verify the exact product before relying on reimbursement. | Varies |
Canada-specific questions
Is oral naltrexone covered?
Coverage is province- and plan-specific. Ontario’s live formulary provides a useful current product price and benefit-status record, but it should not be generalised to every resident or province.
What is a Limited Use code?
It is a formulary mechanism that limits public reimbursement to specified criteria. A prescriber checks and records the applicable code; approval and patient charges depend on the current provincial rules. Current Ontario product results should be checked because they do not match CAMH’s older Limited Use description.
Is Vivitrol currently approved and stocked in Canada?
This audit did not establish a current marketed product and nationwide stock record strongly enough to promise availability. Ask Health Canada, the provincial formulary, the prescriber, and the dispensing clinic about the exact product.
Can primary care prescribe oral naltrexone?
Primary-care prescribing is supported in Canadian clinical resources, but individual assessment, local practice, and product availability still apply.
Find the service first, then verify the plan
A family doctor or local addiction service can start the clinical conversation. Before filling the prescription, check the exact product against your provincial or private plan.
Find Canadian treatment servicesReview side effects and safety
Sources
Checked .
- CAMH: medications for alcohol use disorders. Primary-care prescribing guidance and the older Ontario Limited Use description.
- Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary: naltrexone products. Live product, price, interchangeability, and current benefit-status records; checked 26 July 2026.
- BC PharmaCare: coverage for alcohol and substance use medications — Government of British Columbia. Naltrexone covered under Fair PharmaCare and Plans B, C, F, G and W. Checked 22 October 2026.
- Naltrexone and acamprosate Collaborative Prescribing Agreement (PDF) — BC PharmaCare. Limited Coverage criteria, one-year approval; coverage only with a valid agreement.
- Alberta interactive Drug Benefit List: APO-Naltrexone 50 mg — Alberta Blue Cross for Alberta Health
- RAMQ: find out whether a drug is covered (naltrexone hydrochloride) — Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec. Apo-Naltrexone and Jamp 50 mg tablets listed as covered. Checked 22 October 2026.
- Health Canada: substance-use treatment services. National treatment-service starting point.