This course is in its sixth year of
administration. It was launched successfully in England and was
then funded by the Welsh Assembly Government who recognised the
need to provide GPs and latterly Practice Nurses and Pharmacists
with training and advice in dealing with substance misuse. The
training follows the format already developed by the College for
its Certificate in the Management of Drug Misuse, adapted, where
necessary, to take account of drug misuse and drug misuse treatment
issues specific to Wales). The RCGP is the academic organisation in
the UK for general practitioners and its aim is to encourage
and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and
act as the ‘voice’ of general practitioners on education, training
and standards issues (including standard setting for doctors). By
building on the existing RCGP drug misuse training and its
structures (including the NEAG), we have ensured the drug misuse
intermediate level training in Wales will be delivered to a
national consistent standard and that the Certificate will be
recognised as ensuring that the GPs are able to operate at this
level.
The Certificate
The Royal College of General
Practitioners, has received funding from the Welsh Assembly
Government to offer its drug misuse training programme to GPs,
Pharmacists, Primary Care Nurses, Health Visitors and Midwives
across Wales.
This year RCGP Wales is able to offer two
different Certificate level training packages.
Part 1
Part 1 to the
RCGP Certificate in the Management of Drug Misuse was launched at
the 9th National Conference ‘Management of Drug Users in Primary
Care’ on May 20th 2004 in Cardiff. This course is mapped to the
Drug and Alcohol National Occupational Standards (DANOS), is
endorsed by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, and
will be delivered in two stages.
Stage 1
GPs
If you are already a member of
doctors.net.uk: you can find
the ‘Management of Drug Misuse’ modules in the ‘Modules for GPs’
section of the Education area at www.doctors.net.uk
If you are not a member of
doctors.net.uk: you can register for free at
www.doctors.net.uk with your GMC
number, or call 01235 828400. Once you have successfully completed
the modules you will be issued with a certificate of completion.
You can print this at any time as evidence of your training.
For further information on any of
these modules, please contact Karen Morris at RCGP Wales on 02920
504603
Stage 2
In order to successfully complete Part 1, the RCGP recommends
that you access a minimum of six hours face-to-face training. This
provides the equivalent of six hours continuing professional
development (CPD).
If, once you have completed and passed
the e-learning modules, you wish to do the face-to face training in
order to achieve the RCGP Part 1 Certificate, contact RCGP Wales at
welshc@rcgp.org.uk or telephone on 029 20504038. Once we have taken
your details, you will be sent a pack containing recommended
reading materials and information about your local training
event.
Training events for part 1 are
planned to take place 7th March and 10th October 2008, at
the Future Inns, Cardiff Bay, so you will need to ensure wherever
possible, that you have completed the e-learning or distance
learning modules prior to these
events.
Once you have satisfactorily completed
and passed the e-learning modules and acquired your certificate of
attendance from a locally accredited substance misuse training
course equivalent to six hours continuing professional development,
then the Royal College of General Practitioners will issue you with
a Certificate in the Management of Drug Misuse: Part 1. This is
fully accredited training. Only those who achieve a 70% pass on
both modules and complete their local face-to-face training will
receive an RCGP Certificate in the Management of Drug Misuse: Part
1.
Part 2
To undertake Part 2, candidates
must have completed the Part 1
certificate.
Part 2 is equivalent to the previous certificate. It is aimed
at professionals with a special interest in working with substance
misusers. The course consists of six full study days spread over
approximately six months. It is largely self directed learning and
all the information you will need to complete this is set out in
the Personal Development Handbook and Portfolio which you will
receive at the beginning of the programme.
In order to successfully complete
the Certificate course you must attend all four formal training
days, and complete two days of course
assignments.
Part 2 is due to commence on 17th
April 2008, with a National Masterclass, at the Novotel Hotel
in Cardiff, attendance of which is compulsory.
How to Register for Part
2
In order to apply for Part 2, you will
need to contact RCGP Wales for an application form. You may do this
immediately on the understanding that you will need to have
completed Part 1 by the time Part 2 commences.
Places for Part 2 are limited, so there
will need to be a selection process. Therefore, the earlier your
application is received, the more likely you will be to secure a
place.
Funding for Part 2
Certificate
Funding for the course has been provided
by the Welsh Assembly Government, and there are a fixed number of
centrally funded places available. Bursaries will be available to
GPs and Pharmacists, to cover locum costs. Each applicant securing
a centrally-funded place will have their course training costs of
£2,250 covered by the central budget. Those applicants to whom we
are unable to offer a centrally-funded place may still be able to
join the 2008 course if they are able to secure funding to cover
the course training costs (£2,250) from a local funding
source.