New online access to substance misuse information for
health practitioners
6 November 2006
A wide range of healthcare
professionals are now able to benefit from online modules dealing
with the management and treatment of substance misuse.
The e-modules, produced by
the Royal College of General Practitioners Substance Misuse Unit,
were previously available only to GPs as part of the RCGP Part 1
Certificate in the Management of Drug Misuse.
The course has been adapted
to meet the needs of other healthcare practitioners, enabling
pharmacists, nurses and drug workers to work towards gaining the
certificate by accessing the modules free of charge on the college
website www.rcgp.org.uk/substancemisuse.
After successfully
completing the e-modules, non-GP candidates will be issued with a
certificate as evidence of training. They will also be invited to
attend a ‘face-to-face’ day designed to teach the practical
application of the skills and knowledge contained in the modules,
allowing them to complete the full Part 1 Certificate.
Launched in May 2004, the
course was originally intended for GPs working as part of a shared
care scheme, especially those intending to provide treatment to
drug users as part of a locally or nationally enhanced service
(L/NES). It is mapped to the Drug and Alcohol National Occupational
Standards (DANOS) and recognised by local Drug Action Teams and
Primary Care Trusts.
Dr Linda Harris of the RCGP
Substance Misuse Unit says: “We are very pleased to be able to
offer the Part 1 certificate modules online, and hope that they
will prove to be beneficial for a wide variety of health
practitioners.”
ends
Press
Contact:
Lorna Fletcher, RCGP Press
Office 020 7344 3136 / press@rcgp.org.uk
Notes to
editors
The Royal College of General
Practitioners is the largest membership organisation in the United
Kingdom solely for GPs. It aims to encourage and maintain the
highest standards of general medical practice and to act as the
“voice” of GPs on issues concerned with education; training;
research; and clinical standards. Founded in 1952, the RCGP has
over 24,000 members who are committed to improving patient care,
developing their own skills and promoting general practice as a
discipline.