Clinical safety

We strive for the highest standard of clinical safety

Medication helps a lot of people drink less or stop. It also has to be safe for you. Before anything is prescribed, a licensed clinician looks closely at withdrawal risk, opioid use, your liver health, your other medications and how you’re doing.

Take the 5-min intakeMeet the clinicians
Illustration of a doctor reviewing a patient's checklist beside a sunflower

Thinking about suicide or in crisis? Call or text 988, any time. In an emergency, call 911.

Three safety checks

Withdrawal, opioid and liver safety

These matter most before naltrexone is prescribed, so a licensed clinician looks at each one closely.

Lab testing

Lab tests, at home or near you

When your clinician needs blood work, we can order it for you, from a liver screen to a full metabolic panel, or any other lab test your care calls for.

  • Liver function (AST, ALT)
  • Metabolic panel (CMP)
  • Kidney function
  • Any other test you need

  • At-home blood draw

    A mobile phlebotomist comes to you, so you don’t have to go anywhere.

  • A lab near you

    Prefer to go in? Get your blood drawn at a service center near you.

Already had blood work in the last 12 months? You can share your results instead.

Before anything is prescribed

What else your clinician looks at

Some of what our naltrexone intake asks about, and why it matters.

The full list

Things we consider and factor in

Our naltrexone intake asks about these so your clinician can make a careful decision. Not every question applies to everyone, and your clinician may weigh other things too.

Alcohol withdrawal

  • Withdrawal symptoms when you go without a drink
  • Any seizures or hallucinations as alcohol wears off
  • That you understand naltrexone isn’t a detox medication

Medications and substances

  • Opioid use, including prescription pain medicine, tramadol, methadone and buprenorphine
  • Benzodiazepine medicines, and any opioids you expect to need
  • Other medications and supplements, with dose and how often you take them
  • Allergies, and how you reacted
  • Other substances, including anything used to manage withdrawal

Liver and physical health

  • Liver conditions, such as cirrhosis, fatty liver or liver cancer
  • Kidney disease
  • Recent blood work, or lab tests we order for you
  • Pregnancy, planning a pregnancy, or breastfeeding
  • Other diagnosed health conditions

Wellbeing

  • Your mood, including thoughts of suicide
  • Any past suicide attempts

Your drinking and goals

  • Whether you want to drink less, quit, or aren’t sure yet
  • How often and how much you drink, including heavier days
  • How drinking affects your life
  • Questions based on the DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorder

Identity and consent

  • Your age, and whether we have a licensed prescriber in your state
  • A photo ID, checked against your name and date of birth
  • That you understand naltrexone shouldn’t be combined with opioids
  • Your consent to telehealth care

This reflects our current naltrexone intake. Questions change over time and may vary by state, the information you share, and your clinician’s judgment.

How it works

From intake to prescription

Before you start, we’ll also make sure you know that naltrexone isn’t a detox medication, and that it shouldn’t be combined with opioids.

  1. You answer the intake

    About 5 minutes from your phone or computer, for $20. Take your time, and answer as honestly as you can.

  2. We confirm it’s you

    You’ll upload a photo ID, so we know who we’re caring for.

  3. A licensed clinician reviews your answers

    They decide whether medication is safe and appropriate for you. They might ask follow-up questions, order lab work, or suggest a different kind of care.

  4. Support continues

    Check in through the Sunflower app, tell us about side effects, and message your care team as often as you need. Your clinician may recommend follow-up liver tests while you take naltrexone.

Who reviews your care

The clinicians behind Sunflower

Our medical care is led by psychiatrists, alongside licensed therapists with years of addiction care behind them.

If medication isn’t the right fit, your clinician can talk you through other options

That might be therapy, a different treatment, or care in person. Finding out costs $20, and you only pay for medication if it’s prescribed.

Take the 5-min intake

Important information

This page gives a general overview of what our online naltrexone intake may consider in the 8 states where we currently offer medication. It isn’t medical advice and isn’t a complete list of what a clinician may weigh. Other medications and services have their own screening.

Our services, screening questions and policies are subject to change at any time, and may vary based on your location, the information you provide, and your clinician’s independent clinical judgment. Completing the intake doesn’t guarantee a prescription. A clinician may ask for more information or lab work, recommend a different treatment or in-person care, or decide that medication isn’t appropriate for you.

Always tell your clinician about every medication, supplement and health condition, and talk with them before starting or stopping any medication. See our telehealth consent and terms of service.