How to Choose a Sinclair Method Provider in the UK
By Rethink Drink.
If you're looking for a Sinclair Method provider in the UK, check five things first.
Who prescribes, and are they on a UK register? Is there a proper consultation? Are you checked for safety? What support do you get after the prescription? And what will it cost, ALL of it?
No company owns The Sinclair Method. It's a way of using a prescription medicine, naltrexone, that was published by a researcher, Dr John David Sinclair, decades ago. Anyone can describe it. Only a prescriber can decide it's right for you.
So the question isn't "who's the official one?"
It's "who will look after me properly?"
Maybe you're just starting to look. Or maybe you've been here before... AA, a detox, an app, or naltrexone bought online and taken on your own. On calls, people often tell us that last one "didn't work". When we dig in, it was almost always without support.
In short
No one owns it. The Sinclair Method is a published approach, not a brand. Be wary of anyone who says they're the only way to get it.
Check the prescriber. Doctors should be on the GMC register. Nurse and pharmacist prescribers are on the NMC and GPhC registers.
Check the service and the pharmacy. In England, online doctor services are usually registered with the CQC. Pharmacies in Great Britain must be on the GPhC register.
Expect a real consultation. Your identity, your health, your medicines and your drinking, checked by a prescriber you can talk to.
Ask what happens after the prescription. Who do you speak to, how often, and for how long?
Ask for every fee, in writing. Including the ones that come later.
Check first: if your body depends on alcohol, stopping or cutting down too fast can be dangerous. Speak to your GP (General Practitioner) or local alcohol service before you change anything...
Is The Sinclair Method a con?
No. But it's a fair question, and it deserves a straight answer.
The Sinclair Method comes from published research. Sinclair's idea was "pharmacological extinction": if the brain's reward from alcohol is blocked while you drink, the learned urge to drink weakens over time. In his 2001 review, he wrote that extinction "only weakens responses that are made while reinforcement is blocked". That's why the method pairs the medicine with drinking, rather than with stopping.
The medicine itself, naltrexone, has decades of trials behind it. A Cochrane review of 50 trials, with 7,793 people, found it lowered the risk of heavy drinking to 83% of the risk on a dummy pill. A real effect. Not a large one. And results vary from person to person.
Here's where the honest criticism sits:
It's off-label in the UK. Naltrexone's UK licence is for use as part of a treatment programme to help people stay off alcohol. Taking it before drinking, the Sinclair way, is outside that licence. That's legal, but the prescriber takes on more responsibility, and should explain why they're prescribing it that way.
The evidence is real, but more modest than some marketing suggests. We've set out what the research can and can't tell you, including where the bigger figures come from, in What the evidence says.
Support matters. In a Finnish trial of 121 people, naltrexone helped most when it came with coping skills therapy. With general supportive therapy aimed at stopping completely, it did no better than placebo.
So the method isn't a con.
But a provider can still oversell it.
Who can prescribe naltrexone for The Sinclair Method?
Naltrexone is a prescription-only medicine. So somewhere in any genuine service, there has to be a prescriber.
In the UK, that can be:
A doctor. Check them on the GMC (General Medical Council) register. You can search by name or GMC number.
A nurse or pharmacist independent prescriber. They can prescribe within their competence. Nurses are on the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) register. Pharmacists are on the GPhC (General Pharmaceutical Council) register.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) says to check that ALL the doctors at an online service are registered, and warns that doctors not on the GMC register "may not work to the same clinical standards."
Your GP can prescribe it too, though most won't for The Sinclair Method, because it's off-label and specialist. More on that, and how to ask, in Can I get naltrexone from my GP or the NHS?
...If a website won't tell you who the prescriber is, that's your answer.
Does the service need to be registered?
It depends where it's based and what it does.
The prescribing service. In England, a service that diagnoses or treats people, including online doctor services, generally has to be registered with the CQC.
Services based in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulators: Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority. The CQC says to find out where a service is based, and which regulator it's registered with, before you use it.
The pharmacy. Any pharmacy dispensing your medicine in Great Britain should be on the GPhC register. The GPhC calls its register the reliable way to confirm a pharmacy is legally operating. The MHRA (the UK medicines regulator) gives the same advice.
The coaching. Judge it by who does it, how often, and for how long.
What should a proper consultation look like?
It should feel like a conversation with a clinician. Not a checkout page.
The CQC says that during an online consultation, the doctor should:
check you are who you say you are
take a detailed medical history, including past and current health problems, your medicines and allergies
explain the risks and your treatment options, so you can give informed consent
ask your permission to share the consultation with your GP
You should be able to speak to the prescriber, not just fill in a questionnaire.
And, because this is about alcohol, a good consultation will ask honestly about your drinking. How much, how often, and whether your body might depend on it. That matters, because stopping or cutting down too fast can be dangerous if it does.
What safety checks should happen?
Naltrexone isn't right for everyone. The UK product information says it must not be used by people taking opioid painkillers, or with severe or acute liver problems. It also says liver function tests "should be conducted before and during therapy."
The UK clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment say naltrexone shouldn't be prescribed to people who use opioid drugs, even now and then, because it can bring on serious opioid withdrawal.
So a careful prescriber will ask about:
every medicine you take, including painkillers and anything bought over the counter
your liver health, and whether you've had blood tests recently
your drinking, and any history of withdrawal symptoms
your mental health
You should also leave with clear information on what the medicine is for, how and when to take it, possible side effects and interactions. The CQC lists that too.
...The common side effects, in plain English: Naltrexone side effects (UK)
...And how naltrexone works, in both its NHS and Sinclair Method uses: Naltrexone for alcohol in the UK
What support should I expect after the prescription?
This is the question that separates providers more than any other.
It's not the medication itself that makes the method, it's the protocol of how to take it. And taking a tablet cannot change our habits. The tablet quietens the neurological side. The habits, the triggers, the routines (same drink, same glass, same seat, same time) are the real work.
That's where support earns its keep. Ask:
Who do I speak to when it isn't going the way I hoped? A named person, or a general inbox?
How often? Week by week, or once at the start?
For how long? A few weeks, or as long as you need it?
Is the support from people who understand this method? Week four, still drinking around the same, is not uncommon. Someone who knows that will help you through it, rather than tell you it's failed.
What happens if I want to stop altogether, or the medicine doesn't suit me? A good provider will talk you through every option, including NHS routes.
The GPhC says to check what after-care you'll receive. With The Sinclair Method, that question is BIG.
More on why, in Why support is so important with The Sinclair Method.
What will it really cost?
The CQC says to check what you'll pay for consultations, tests, treatment and prescriptions.
A price that looks low at the start can grow. Ask for the total, in writing, and ask about the parts that come later:
the consultation
the medicine itself, and delivery
the support or coaching, and how long it lasts
Are there additional fees? (repeat prescriptions, annual consultations or blood tests)
If a provider can't tell you plainly what you'll pay over the first few months, ask why.
What are the red flags?
Walk away, or at least ask hard questions, if you see any of these:
No consultation. Naltrexone sold after a quick form, with no one checking your health.
Medicine without a prescription. Prescription-only medicines can only be legally and safely dispensed against a prescription. The MHRA warns that illegal sellers may supply medicines not approved for UK use.
No names. You can't find who the prescriber is, or which pharmacy dispenses.
No register numbers. No GPhC number for the pharmacy, no way to check the prescriber.
"The only official provider." No one owns The Sinclair Method.
Promises. Guaranteed results, set timelines, or success figures with no source. Results vary.
Adverts for the medicine. UK rules say prescription-only medicines can't be advertised to the public. A provider whose website reads like an advert for a tablet is telling you something.
No mention of risks. If nobody talks about side effects, liver checks or other medicines, nobody is checking them.
Pressure. Countdown offers, or long contracts pushed on the first call.
...Thinking of buying naltrexone online? Read Where can I buy naltrexone in the UK? first.
Common questions
Is there an official Sinclair Method provider in the UK?
No. The Sinclair Method is a published approach, not a trademark or a licence. Any properly registered prescriber can decide whether it's right for you.
Can I do The Sinclair Method without a provider?
You can't get naltrexone legally without a prescription. And support was the common thread in the trials. Going it alone is the route people most often tell us "didn't work".
Can my GP prescribe naltrexone for The Sinclair Method?
They can, but most won't, because it's off-label and specialist. See Can I get naltrexone from my GP or the NHS?
Is a coach the same as a doctor?
No. A coach can't prescribe or diagnose. In a good service, the prescriber decides about the medicine, and the coach works with you on the habits around it.
If you'd like support from us
Rethink Drink is a UK coaching service built around The Sinclair Method. Our programmes include a consultation with an independent prescribing doctor, who decides whether treatment is suitable for you. Any prescription is dispensed by an independent partner pharmacy. Our coaches work with you, week by week, on everything around it.
And whatever happens, you can talk to someone today. Drinkline, the national alcohol helpline, is free and confidential: 0300 123 1110.
Please look after yourself
This page is here to help you understand your options. It isn't medical advice, and it can't replace a conversation with a doctor who can ask qualifying questions.
Before you change how much you drink or start any medication, speak to your GP or a prescriber.
We really hope this post helps. If you have any questions, you can contact us here.
The Rethink Drink team
Sources
Sinclair JD. Evidence about the use of naltrexone and for different ways of using it in the treatment of alcoholism. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 2001; 36(1): 2 to 10. https://cthreefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/review_nal_2001_print_us_1.pdf
Rösner S and colleagues. Opioid antagonists for alcohol dependence. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2010 (CD001867). https://www.cochrane.org/CD001867/alcohol-opioid-antagonists-alcohol-dependence
Heinälä P, Alho H, Kiianmaa K, Lönnqvist J, Kuoppasalmi K, Sinclair JD. Targeted use of naltrexone without prior detoxification in the treatment of alcohol dependence: a factorial double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2001; 21(3): 287 to 292. https://www.cpsp.pitt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/3-VIIH3-2001-Targeted-Use-of-Naltrexone.pdf
emc (electronic medicines compendium). Adepend film-coated tablets (naltrexone): Summary of Product Characteristics (discontinued product). https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/3559/smpc
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Off-label or unlicensed use of medicines: prescribers' responsibilities. Drug Safety Update. https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/off-label-or-unlicensed-use-of-medicines-prescribers-responsibilities
General Medical Council. Find a record on our registers. https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/our-registers/a-guide-to-the-medical-register/find-a-doctors-record
Department of Health (Northern Ireland). Prescribing by non-medical healthcare professionals. https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/prescribing-non-medical-healthcare-professionals
Care Quality Commission. Choosing an online healthcare service. https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/help-choosing-care/choosing-online-healthcare-service
General Pharmaceutical Council. Buying medicines safely online. https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/standards/guidance/buying-medicines-safely-online
General Pharmaceutical Council. Guidance for registered pharmacies providing pharmacy services at a distance, including on the internet (February 2025). https://assets.pharmacyregulation.org/files/2025-02/gphc-guidance-registered-pharmacies-providing-pharmacy-services-distance-february-2025.pdf
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. UK medicines regulator warns against buying weight loss medicines without a prescription this New Year (30 December 2024). https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-medicines-regulator-warns-against-buying-weight-loss-medicines-without-a-prescription-this-new-year
Department of Health and Social Care. UK clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment, chapter 10: pharmacological interventions. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/clinical-guidelines-for-alcohol-treatment/10-pharmacological-interventions
Advertising Standards Authority / CAP. Healthcare: prescription-only medicine. https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/healthcare-prescription-only-medicine.html
