Avoiding The Emergency Room | The Current
Oar Health Editorial Team
Published: Mar 03, 2026
Last updated: Mar 03, 2026
In This Article
Welcome back to The Current, your source for the latest news, perspective and resources from Oar Health.
The Oar Perspective: The Pill Patients Saved
Alcohol-driven emergency room visits have doubled over the last 20 years, now totaling more than 5 million annual visits according to a recent analysis.
And these are only the visits directly attributable to alcohol use, not counting falls or car crashes in which alcohol may be a contributing factor.
Our founder Jonathan wrote about his own emergency room visit for NBC News in 2022.
It’s a big reason why we built Oar Health: so people struggling with excessive alcohol use can get help before it’s an emergency.
Resource Of The Month: Thriving With Addiction Podcast
Dr. Jonathan Avery hosts a weekly conversation to help individuals struggling with substances, their families, and the clinicians who care for them move toward hope and healing.
Dr. Avery is the Vice Chair for Addiction Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Medical Director of the NBA’s Anti-Drug Program. He is joined for each episode of this new podcast by experts, advocates, clinicians and patients on the frontlines of recovery.
A recent episode focuses on why naltrexone, an effective medication for the treatment of alcohol use disorder, is so underused.
You can find the show on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Oar Member Story: Oar is F****** amazing. Life changing!
"It's been 11 days since starting Oar and I'm blown away at how effective this medication is. I've been a heavy drinker for a long time and had no confidence in the traditional processes for quiting. Furthermore I didn't want anyone to know, family, work, nobody. Since starting I haven't had a single drink. I've a couple of cravings but they fade out fast. I'm sleeping better, my skin is better and I have 4x the energy in just 11 days."
Trustpilot Review, February 23rd, 2026
AUD In The News
What Alcohol Does To The Body | New York Times
“From the moment you take a sip, drinking starts to influence your biology. Here’s an inside look.”
From All Or Nothing To Something Steady | Moderation Management “All-or-nothing thinking can feel decisive, even powerful. But it’s steadiness that builds durability.”
Alcohol Use Disorder Screenings Underused In Primary Care | WDAM
“[Dr. Joseph] Volpicelli encourages health care providers to start screening regularly because only a quarter of people are diagnosed in a primary care setting.”
Ozempic For Alcoholism | Business Insider “People are using weight loss drugs to cut back on drinking. We already have a prescription for that.”
About The Author
Oar is a telemedicine platform that makes science-backed, medication-assisted addiction treatment approachable and accessible for millions of consumers who feel excluded by the current treatment landscape and who may have a wide range of goals, from moderation to abstinence.
- How It Works
- Alcohol & Health
- Alcohol Misuse & Alcohol Use Disorder
- Strategies to Drink Less or Quit
- Treatment Options
- Medication-Assisted Treatment
- Recovery Stories
- Member Stories
- Moderation Stories
- Sobriety Stories
- ¹ Oar Health membership plans include access to the Oar Health platform, virtual consultations with a healthcare professional, and medication if prescribed by a healthcare provider. 3 month membership plan costs $297, equating to $99/mo.
- ² Self-reported by members after 6 months of Oar Health membership.
- ³ Verywell Health survey of Oar Health members, published March, 2023.
- ⁴ Prescription medication is available only if prescribed by a licensed clinician.
- ⁵ Compounded medications are prepared based on a prescription from a healthcare provider. They are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or efficacy.
Naltrexone is a prescription medication used to treat alcohol dependence. It is available only if prescribed by a healthcare provider. You should not take naltrexone if you use opioids, including prescription drugs or street drugs that contain opioids, as naltrexone can cause sudden opioid withdrawal. Common side effects of naltrexone include nausea, sleepiness, headache, dizziness, vomiting, decreased appetite, painful joints, muscle cramps, and trouble sleeping. These are not all of the side effects of naltrexone. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.
