Toolkit for GPs and PCOs working with Drug Users
The RCGP National Drug Misuse Training team aims to drive up
quality and promote consistent evidence-based approaches to the
care of drug users, through the development of local and national
education and training initiatives. It has invested in a regional
network of clinical leads and, in conjunction with SMMGP and the
National Treatment Agency’s regional management team, helped to
forge links between clinical leads and local commissioners so that
local terms and conditions, service specifications, levels of
remuneration, clinical governance and drug and alcohol national
occupational standards can be delivered consistently and
appropriately throughout England and Wales.
As part of this work programme, the RCGP has published (May 2004) a
Toolkit designed to assist and guide practitioners and healthcare
organisations involved in the provision of services to substance
misusers. This guidance is for all GPs and PCOs with a stake in the
management of drug users.
In order to deliver the best possible care to service users and
carers whilst ensuring practitioners are equipped with the right
skills and competencies for the level of expertise expected of
them, services must be developed and managed in accordance with a
set of consensus standards. This toolkit is based on evidence of
best practice in continuing professional development, training and
supervision in the addiction field and is supported by the
consensus opinion of the RCGP National Expert Adviosry Group. The
guidance provides a description of the criteria, standards and
evidence required at each level of practice (from the harm
reduction, public health interventions and signposting expected of
a competent generalist, through the competencies of a shared care
GP and onto the role and skills of a GPwSI and primary care drug
misuse specialists).