How to Get a Prescription for Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN) (2026 Guide)
Commercial naltrexone comes only as a 50 mg tablet. But LDN protocols use 0.5–4.5 mg. That gap is why every legitimate LDN prescription runs through a compounding pharmacy. Here's how to get it and what to avoid.
The short answer: you cannot buy low-dose naltrexone over the counter, and a regular retail pharmacy cannot supply it either. The only manufactured naltrexone product is a 50 mg tablet. LDN protocols use 0.5 to 4.5 mg. Every legitimate LDN prescription is therefore filled by a compounding pharmacy: a licensed prescriber writes the order written for you, and the pharmacy prepares exact-strength capsules. Here's the full path.
KeyPoints
- Commercial naltrexone exists only as a 50 mg tablet, LDN's 0.5–4.5 mg doses are compounding-only
- LDN is prescribed off-label; the prescription can come from your own physician or an LDN-experienced telehealth provider
- It is typically cash-pay; we quote the price before we fill
- Gray-market and "research chemical" naltrexone is unregulated and worth avoiding entirely
- Generation Pharmacy compounds LDN in West LA but cannot prescribe it
EndKeyPoints
Why you can't buy LDN over the counter
Naltrexone is FDA-approved at 50 mg for alcohol and opioid use disorders, and it is prescription-only at every dose. LDN protocols use roughly one-tenth to one-hundredth of that commercial strength, doses that simply don't exist as manufactured products. No drug company makes a 1.5 mg or 4.5 mg naltrexone capsule. That manufacturing gap is the entire reason LDN and compounding pharmacies are inseparable. Someone has to turn USP-grade naltrexone into a precise 0.5, 1.5, 3 or 4.5 mg capsule. That someone is a licensed 503A compounding pharmacy working from your prescriber's order.
If you're earlier in your research, our complete LDN guide covers what LDN is prescribed for, how titration schedules work, and what the published literature does and doesn't support.
How to actually get it
- Get a prescription. Start with your own physician, many are open to LDN when patients bring the published literature, or work with a telehealth provider experienced in LDN protocols. Because LDN use is off-label, an LDN-literate prescriber will also set your titration schedule.
- Have the prescription sent to a compounding pharmacy. Your provider e-prescribes to Generation Pharmacy via SiPrescribe or faxes the order. Our prescribing guide includes formulation language they can use directly.
- Pick up or arrange delivery. LDN capsules are typically ready in 1–2 business days. Pick up at our West LA pharmacy or ask about delivery options within California.
What we compound
Our low dose naltrexone (LDN) capsule and ODT formulas covers standard titration capsules (commonly 0.5 → 1.5 → 3 → 4.5 mg), intermediate strengths for sensitive patients, and orally dissolving tablet options when your prescriber prefers them. Every batch is prepared under USP 795 from USP-grade naltrexone with certificates of analysis. And because titration means changing strengths over the first weeks, working with one pharmacy that can adjust quickly genuinely matters.
What does it cost?
Here's the honest picture: LDN is usually cash-pay, because insurance rarely covers off-label compounded therapy. The price depends on the strength and quantity your prescriber writes. We quote the price before we fill; call 424-228-1049, or read our cost guide for how compounded pricing works generally.
Red flags to avoid
- No-prescription "LDN" websites: naltrexone is prescription-only in the U.S., sellers ignoring that rule are also ignoring purity and potency standards
- Gray-market imports: overseas tablets of unverifiable origin, often the full 50 mg strength that patients are then told to dissolve at home, imprecise and unstable
- "Research chemical" naltrexone powder: not pharmaceutical-grade, not tested to USP standards, not for human use
- DIY dilution instructions: homemade naltrexone liquid has no stability testing, dose accuracy degrades from day one
Next steps
Ask your physician about LDN or connect with an LDN-experienced telehealth prescriber, and have the prescription sent to Generation Pharmacy. See the LDN formulation page, take the formula finder quiz, or call 424-228-1049 to talk through formulation options with a pharmacist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is low-dose naltrexone available over the counter?
No. Naltrexone is a prescription medication at every dose. And because the only commercially manufactured form is a 50 mg tablet, the low doses used in LDN protocols, typically 0.5 to 4.5 mg, must be prepared by a compounding pharmacy from a prescriber's order.
Who prescribes LDN?
Any licensed prescriber can. In practice, LDN is prescribed off-label, so patients usually work with their own physician (bringing published LDN literature to the conversation) or with a telehealth provider experienced in LDN protocols. The prescription then goes to a compounding pharmacy to be filled.
Can Generation Pharmacy prescribe LDN for me?
No. We are a pharmacy, not a prescriber. We compound LDN capsules and dissolvable tablets at the exact strength your provider orders, and we're glad to discuss formulation and titration schedules with your prescriber. But the prescription itself must come from a licensed provider.
Is LDN expensive?
The price depends on the strength, dosage form and quantity your prescriber writes. LDN is typically cash-pay, since insurance rarely covers off-label compounded therapy. We quote the price before we fill. Call 424-228-1049.
Can't I just split a 50 mg naltrexone tablet?
No, cutting a 50 mg tablet into the 1/10th to 1/100th fractions LDN requires is wildly imprecise, and dissolving tablets at home produces unstable, unevenly dosed liquid. Accurate low-dose titration is exactly what compounded capsules exist for.
Disclaimer: This content is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition or before starting any new treatment.
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