BMJ 1996;312:1162 (4 May)

Letters

Training in substance misuse for GPs

Services need to be adequately resourced

EDITOR,--I am sympathetic to Edwin Martin's view that training in substance misuse for general practitioners is lacking.1 Shared care for drug misuse will fail unless specialists in substance misuse and those working in primary care coordinate their efforts and are trained; a sense of failure and frustration will in turn be transmitted to patients. When shared care works effectively it has a significant effect on harm reduction, including a demonstrable impact on the level of drug related crime in the community.2

Unfortunately, current levels of specialist provision in the management of substance misuse are too low, and specialist training is unevenly developed throughout Britain. The report on the mental health of the nation by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 1992 identified a need for 0.6 whole time equivalent consultants in substance misuse per 100000 population.3 The number of consultant sessions in substance misuse needs to increase fourfold if general practitioners are to receive anything approaching a proper level of support and locally based training for this complex task. If the rhetoric surrounding tackling drug problems together is to be given any meaning then the services need to be adequately resourced.

Chairman, substance misuse section Royal College of Psychiatrists, London SW1X 8PG

Bruce Ritson 

  1. Martin E. Training in substance abuse is lacking for GPs. BMJ 1996;312:186. (20 January.) [Free Full Text]
  2. Greenwood J. Six years experience of sharing the care of Edinburgh drug users. Psychiatric Bulletin 1996;20:8-11. [Abstract/Free Full Text]
  3. Royal College of Psychiatrists. Mental health of the nation: the contribution of psychiatry. London: RCP, 1992.

Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

Related Article

Nurses could halve GP workload
Ruth Huddart
BMJ 1996 312: 186. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Heimer, R., Zambrano, J. A., Brunet, A., Ortiz, A. M., Catania, H., Newman, R. G. (2005). Methadone Maintenance in a Men's Prison in Puerto Rico: A Pilot Program. JOURNAL OF CORRECTIONAL HEALTH CARE 11: 295-305 [Abstract]  
  • Gore, S. M, Seaman, S. (1996). Drug use in prison. BMJ 313: 429-429 [Full text]  

Student BMJ

Sepsis

The latest guidlines will affect how we practice medicine

www.student.bmj.com

Listen to the latest BMJ Interview