Regional Master Class Dates

The first event will be a Regional Master Class (RMC). Attendance at one of the RMCs is a compulsory part of the course.



There will be three RMC events in 2012 – please go to http://tinyurl.com/bstd7pn to reserve your place on one of the master classes.



Places are restricted to 35 per event, and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Please contact us by 28th January 2012 giving your 1st , 2nd and 3rd preferences.



Monday 13th February London RMC Location TBC
Tuesday 21st of February Birmingham RMC Location TBC
Monday 27th of February Manchester RMC Location TBC

The RCGP’s 17th National Conference: Managing drug and alcohol problems in primary care will be held on Friday 11 May 2012 at City Hall, Cardiff.

As the Olympic Games hit the UK, this well-established conference returns in 2012 with the theme, Going for Gold 2012: Right treatment, right time, right place, which will explore how we can strive with our patients to be winners in achieving the best possible health outcomes.



Building on the success of previous conferences, this long-running event will once again examine the critical role primary care plays in working with drug users, their families and carers.



The conference is the largest event in the UK for GPs, shared care workers, drug users, nurses and other primary care staff, specialists, commissioners and researchers interested in, and involved with the management of drug users in primary care. Delegates will benefit from:



A high-quality programme put together by leading experts in the field.


A diverse format of high-profile plenary sessions, smaller workshops and poster presentations, led by the some of the best speakers in the sector. Confirmed speakers so far include: RCGP Chair of Council, Dr Clare Gerada, Professor John Strang of the National Addiction Centre, Professor Jim Orford, a leading academic expert on addiction in the UK and Professor Steve Rollnick, Professor of Clinical Psychology of motivational interviewing fame.


The chance to network with peers and experts and make useful contacts.


The opportunity to contribute to and take part in the programme through short papers and poster sessions.


RCGP accreditation for CPD.


With a change of organisers to the RCGP, we are trialling this year’s conference as a packed one-day programme, providing delegates with the same high-quality content but offering excellent value-for-money and the convenience of just one day away from work at a time when diaries and budgets are being squeezed.

Part 2 2011 Pass Results

Please find below the results of the Part 2 2011.

If your name is not on the list you will receive a letter explaining why.

Congratulations to all that have passed.

Miss Adechi Fehintola Adechi
Dr Adefowope Oluseyi
Dr Akhtar Fauzia M
Ms Allen Jaqueline
Dr Arif Shahzad Ali Saeed
Dr Bekas Barzan
Dr Betts Allyson
Mr Bishop Andrew Robert
Dr Blackwell Bruce
Mrs Broadbent Amanda Louise
Dr Brown Amanda
Miss Bushell Enid
Dr Carslake Eleanor Penrose
Dr Chiddick Lucy
Dr Copeman Stacey
Cumberland Louise
Mr da Cal Joao
Miss Davies Rachel
Dr Davis Christopher Charles
Dr Davis Henry
Dr De Vries Hendrik
Dr Dempsey Owen Phillip
Dr Duffield Lucy Alison
Dr Dyson Gary
Dr Fisher Robert Holdrich
Dr Ghaebi Hamidreza
Dr Gillberry Anne
Dr Greenham Anna Ruth
Miss Griffin Keeley Jo
Gyngell Eleanor
Dr Hanif Naureen
Mrs Harding Jacqueline
Dr Hawkins Charlotte
Dr Hodun Katarzyna Maria
Dr Horner Simon Scadding
Mrs Hulme Nina Elizabeth
Mrs Ingham-Jones Sarah
Dr Jacobs Philip
Dr Jeevaratnam Shabita
Dr Jessa Emmannel Orhie
Mr Jollands Patrick Andrew
Dr Jones Kevin
Dr Kirkman Patricia
Miss Kneen Charlie
Miss Kozak Maria
Dr Kumar Annapuma
Dr Kumar Navneet
Dr Lama Tsering
Dr Lee David
Miss Loveridge Melanie
Dr Martindale Fiona
Mrs Maxwell Susan
McGowan Shamiso
Mrs Meux Nicky
Dr Mitchell Sarah
Mrs Mortimer Laura Maher
Dr Muehlbayer Simone
Mrs Ngonga Nancy Rumbidzai
Dr Norwood Catherine
Dr Oo Tint Zin
Dr Osman Rabia
Miss Panter Kerry
Dr Pocock Christopher
Dr Porter Andrew
Mr Qureshi Sheraz
Dr Raftery Zoe
Mr Rampall Iswarduth
Mrs Ranyard Claire
Dr Rees Jane
Miss Reynolds Sheryl Anne
Dr Rieborn Marcus
Miss Ring Sallyanne
Mrs Robbins Jacqueline Ann
Dr Sandhu Punit
Miss Schaefer Heike
Dr Selim Magdi
Dr Shetty Sangeeta
Dr Sinha Anupam
Mr Smith James Paul
Dr Smith Kate
Dr Smith Martin
Ms Smith Maxine Louise
Dr Smithson Philippa
Ms Tafirenyika Stellah
Dr Tan Kevin
Mrs Taylor Elizabeth Anne
Dr Tirmizi Syed Hammad
Mrs Tucker Sarah
Dr Ullah Obaid
Mrs Walker Trina Louise
Dr Whitby Pete
Mr Wilson Lee
Dr Wilson Ashley Sarah
Dr Wrigley Richard
Dr Wrigley Antonia Joanne
Dr Yahioglu Fulya
Ms Yates Vikki

Part Two 2011 End of Year

2011 Certificate in Management of Substance Misuse – Part Two

I am just here to remind you of the process for submitting your Assessment Folder for the RCGP SMU Assessment Board.

You will need to make sure that you send your completed Assessment Folder to the RCGP SMU (please see new address details below) by the end of the working day on Wednesday the 5th of October 2011.

If your folder arrives after this date it will not be eligible for the 2011 Assessment Board and this will result in you not being awarded the Part 2 Certificate until the Board meet again in November 2012.

The Board will meet on Thursday the 5th of November 2011 and will award either a pass, fail or defer with conditions.

Shortly after the Assessment Board has met, the names of all candidates who have passed will be posted on the RCGP Website: http://tinyurl.com/42ou3dn

Following the posting on the website you will receive written confirmation of your result, and the return of your Assessment Folder.


Please do not call the SMU Administrative Team for your results as they will not be able to give them out over the phone at that time.

Your Assessment Folder needs to contain only the following information:

• Completed front sheet with name, Tutor name and return address
• Signed attendance sheet
• Completed Tutor’s assessment
• A marked copy of the Critical Appraisal of an academic paper
• Your Significant Event Report
• Your Field Visit Report
• Your Practice Audit
• Your Log Book
• Signed Plagiarism Declaration Form
• Signed Self Declaration Form

The address to send your folder to will be:
RCGP - Enrique Ramos
1 Bow Churchyard, London, EC4M 9DQ

Please contact Myself (Enrique) if you need any further information – 0203 188 7647

Assessment Deadline Date Correction

There has been an error spotted in your Candidate Handbook.
It states the incorrect deadline for submitting your Assessment folder.

The correct date is: by 5pm on the 5th of October 2011.

We apologize for the error.

A new certificate in substance misuse

The RCGP Substance Misuse and Associated Health Unit is launching a new certificate:

Harm Reduction, Health and Well Being for Substance Users.

The first face to face event for the certificate will be running in London on 26th May 2011. This certificate is aimed at those practitioners who are encountering substance misuse as part of their day to day work in health or social care. Particularly those not traditionally involved in providing services to this patient group, but it will also act as an important refresher for practitioners involved in shared care or specialist services and/or as an CPD update for Part 1 certificate holders

It is intended that by completing the certificate participants will be better able to apply techniques that will reduce the harm that substance misuse can do and promote the health and wellbeing of substance misusing patients, their families and the community.

Bookings can be made on-line at:

http://www.rcgp.org.uk/substance_misuse/harm_reduction_health_and_well.aspx

Or contact the programme co-ordinator Marianne Thompson:
Tel: 020 3188 7653
E-mail: marianne.thompson@rcgp.org.uk

Colored Lines

A few of you are having these odd lines that make your assessment folder look a bit odd or have diffrent color lines.

This is tracked changes.

This is an option that lets you track the changes to a document that you've made or someone else has made within the same documnet.

In order to disable these tracked changes please follow the diffrent options below:

* In all versions of Word: Ctrl+Shift+e

* In Word 2007 and Word 2010: on the status bar, click "Track Changes: Off" to turn on track changes. If you can't see "Track Changes" on the status bar then right-click the status bar and click Track Changes.

* In Word 2007 and Word 2010, on the Review tab, in the Tracking group, choose Final. This displays your document as if you had accepted all the tracked changes in the document. It hides (but does not remove) the tracked changes.
* In Word 2007 and 2010, on the Review tab, in the Tracking group, choose Original. This displays your document as if you had rejected all the tracked changes in the document. It hides (but does not remove) the tracked changes.
* In Word 2002 and 2003, on the Reviewing toolbar, choose Final. This displays your document as if you had accepted all the tracked changes in the document. It hides (but does not remove) the tracked changes.
* In Word 2002 and 2003, on the Reviewing toolbar, choose Original. This displays your document as if you had rejected all the tracked changes in the document. It hides (but does not remove) the tracked changes.
* In earlier versions of Word, Tools > Track Changes > Highlight Changes. Un-tick Highlight Changes on Screen. This displays your document as if you had accepted all the tracked changes. It hides (but does not remove) the tracked changes.

New Guidance

Please find below a link to the New Guidance for the use of Substitute Prescribing in the Treatment of Opioid Dependence in Primary Care.
http://www.rcgp.org.uk/substance_misuse/drug_misuse_certificate/guidelines.aspx

Local Master Class Dates and Locations

Pleas see below the variouse Local Master Class dates and locations.
Chris Walker & Jeremy C -->14th of July--> Hilton Sheffield

Nat & Andy --> 21th of July--> Leeds

Chris N & Kathryn --> 19th of July London--> RCGP

Mark Gabbay & Sarah Morgan--> 18th of July--> Marriot Worsley/Manchester

Kevin & Mark Gray--> 29th July--> Novotel Birmingham

Regional Master Class Dates

If you haven't already been told these are the dates for the Regional Master Class.
Please note that you only have to attend ONE of these classes.
The Local Master Classes have not been finalized just yet but once I do have dates I will feed them back to you.

London - February 14th - 1 Bow Churchyard, London EC4M 9DQ

Manchester - March 4th - The Palace Hotel, Oxford Street, Manchester M60 7HA

Birmingham - March 10th - Novotel Birmingham, 70 Broad Street, Birmingham, East Midlands B1 2HT

Please note that all of the RMC have a time table listed below.
9am Tea/Coffee & Regestration
930 start

We aim to finish around 4:30pm.

Part 2 2010 Results

Please find below the Part 2 results.
I am sorry for the long wait.
If your name is not on the list your folder is still being review.
Again I am sorry for the long delay.
You shall be receiving your certificate in the post soon.
¬Enrique

Dr Forida Abdullah
Dr Rashid Ahmad
Dr Rohaila Noshad Ahmed
Dr Muhammad Tanveer Alam
Miss Elizabeth Albertina
Dr Muhammad Zubair Ali
Dr Haseeb Amjad
Dr Richard Aw
Mrs Amelia Bailey
Miss Thembeka Bana
Mrs Claire Barber
Dr Laurent Bare
Dr Richard Donovan Barker
Mrs Sandra Elaine Barton
Dr Saheel Hussain Batt
Dr Elizabeth Marie Belham
Dr Victoria Bentley
Dr Arnold Berger
Dr Peter Billingsley
Dr Christopher Mark Binns
Dr Ducan Edward Blake
Dr Marija Bogdanovska-Marinova
Dr Hari Mohan Bonthala
Mr James Boyd
Dr Harriet Bradley
Mrs Jayne Donna Bridge
Miss Rebecca Brown
Dr Jennifer Mary Calvert
Miss Abioseh (Abby) Campbell
Miss Jennifer Carr
Dr David John Cavanagh
Miss Missbah Chaudhry
Dr Nasimul Choudhury
Ms Emma Coffield
Mr Anthony Paul Cosco
Dr Lindsey Crockett
Dr John Paul Culling
Miss Emma Dalwood
Dr Ellora Das
Dr Louise Davis
Miss Jennifer Dawson
Dr Theresa Jemima Murphy De Souza
Dr Samuel Dearman
Dr Sunila Dhaduvai
Ms Christine Dodd
Dr John A Ellerton
Miss Emily Rachel Fisher
Dr John Neil Fisher
Dr Neil Antony Forsdyke
Miss Lorraine Freemantle
Mr Gordon Garrick
Mr James Gasson
Mr Shawn Gaywood
Dr Ajaya Ghosh
Mrs Karen Gilliver
Dr Elise Godfrey
Dr Laimonas Goncaras
Dr Ugandrie Govender
Dr Christine Greenshaw
Dr Rachel Grenfell
Mr Hassan Hajat
Miss Catherine Hardy Elizabeth
Mrs Julie Harrington
Ms Kate Mary Harrison
Miss Rebecca Hayden
Mrs Joanne Hayward
Miss Tracey Hegarty
Dr Chandrika Hirani
Miss Michelle Hodkinson
Mrs Coryn Hudson
Dr Richard Ibrahim
Miss Paula Irvine
Dr Ashrafi Jabin
Dr Sushmita Kakati
Dr Sharan Kaur
Dr Muhammad Akbar Khan
Dr Peter Klesse
Dr Kyle Knox
Dr Juergen Kraemer
Miss Adeyinka Kumuyi
Dr Andreas G Lehmann
Dr Martin Lindsay
Mr Michael John Line
Mr William John Lloyd
Miss Tabitha Love
Dr Alyson Macpherson
Mrs Sara Malone
Dr Maurice Mann
Miss Lisa McGuinness
Miss Kerry Louise McKay
Dr Nkwayep Lawou Mpafe
Dr Melanie Fiona Munro
Dr Jan Musil
Miss Melissa Nash
Dr Joanna Helen Newell
Miss Mbilitam Ngozi
Dr Margus Noormets
Miss Jacqueline O'Brien
Dr Abdi-llah Abucar Osman
Mrs Amanda Plater
Mrs Jacqui Prescott
Mrs Susan Puckey
Mr Martin Richardson
Dr Jonathan Ring
Dr David James Robertson
Dr Ibraham Ademola Salau
Dr Mita Sau
Dr Heather Wynne Scott
Mr David Sharpe
Ms Stella Simpson
Mr Jacob Skaria
Mrs Wendy Smith
Miss Michelle Louise Smith
Mrs Rooksana Sobhee
Dr Ravinder Nath Sood
Dr Ann-Marie Stewart
Dr Malcolm Stone
Dr Mark Struthers
Miss Barbara Sullivan
Dr Dax Tennant
Dr Tony Thekkekkara
Dr Geraint Huw Thomas
Ms Louise Tiffen
Miss Lorraine Diane Tomlinson
Dr Tuan Tran
Mrs Wendy Tubby
Dr Michael Uti
Mr Ravi Vaitha
Dr Nanthakumar Vaithilingam
Dr Roya Vaziri
Miss Sue Waldron
Mrs Tracey Jane Walker
Dr Ian Wall
Dr Pamela Walters
Dr David William Earl Ward
Miss Laura Jane Ward
Mrs Kay Marie Whinfrey
Dr Deborah Kathleen Wilmot
Mrs Claire Wood
Mr Matthew William Young
Dr Jolly Zachariah
Dr Ashraf Zaman

Change of Address

Please note that the SMU office will be changing their address.
From the 13th of August our new address will be:
1 Bow Churchyard, London EC4M 9DQ.

Naltrexone for the management of opioid dependence

Naltrexone is recommended as a treatment option for people who have been opioid dependent but who have stopped using opioids, and who are highly motivated to stay free from the drugs in an abstinence programme.

It should only be given to people who have been told about the problems associated with treatment, and with proper supervision. Treatment with naltrexone should be given as part of a support programme to help the person manage their opioid dependence.

Healthcare professionals should regularly review how well naltrexone is working to help people stay off opioids. If there is evidence that the person has been using the drugs again then healthcare professionals should consider stopping naltrexone treatment.

Click here for the full artical.

Drug misuse - methadone and buprenorphine

Methadone and buprenorphine (given as a tablet or a liquid) are recommended as treatment options for people who are opioid dependent.

A decision about which is the better treatment should be made on an individual basis, in consultation with the person, taking into account the possible benefits and risks of each treatment for that particular person. If both drugs are likely to have the same benefits and risks, methadone should be given as the first choice.

Different people will need different doses of methadone or buprenorphine. People should take methadone or buprenorphine daily in the presence of their doctor, nurse or community pharmacist for at least the first 3 months of treatment and until they are able to continue their treatment correctly without supervision.

Treatment with methadone or buprenorphine should be given as part of a support programme to help the person manage their opioid dependence


Click Here to be taken to the full artical.

Presentations from the RMC

Please find below the links to the Presentations from the various Regional Master Classes.
Nat's Presentation
How To Read an Academic Paper
Linda's Manchester RMC presentation
Gordon's Presentation
Steve's Presentation

Presentation from the RMC

After the final Regional Master Class on the 5th of March I will post links here for the Presentations.

Useful Website

This is a useful website, run by RELEASE, which is designed to provide a chance to share stories and new information about drugs from across the world, it’s an interesting, and maybe slightly different from the SMMGP and RCGP website.
http://www.talkingdrugs.org/

Drugs, Race and Discrimination

"Drugs, Race and Discrimination” is the theme of the upcoming 2008 Release Conference to be held in London on 18th September 2008. This unique event will focus on discrimination faced by drug users around the world. By highlighting the issues confronting people from an already marginalised background whose drug use leaves them open to further prejudice, this conference will tackle some of the most complex and interesting issues in drug policy today. National and international speakers presenting original material will include:
Deborah Small (Break the Chains); Damon Barret (IHRA); Chris Huhne MP; Dr Gordon Morse and King Downing (ACLU). Further information and booking facilities available at:

http://releaseorgu.eweb101.discountasp.net/latest_conference.html

We look forward to seeing you at the conference.

Sebastian Saville
Executive Director
Release
Drugs, The Law & Human Rights
Registered Charity 801118

Methadone oral solution vs. mixture

Some information you might find useful.

There is a page on the Society’s website containing controlled drug FAQs. It can be viewed at: www.rpsgb.org/worldofpharmacy/useofmedicines/controlleddrugs.html#faqs . In particular there is one section on miscellaneous queries which can be viewed at: www.rpsgb.org/pdfs/cdfaqregsmisc.pdf . It contains the following:

“5. If a prescription is written for Methadone mixture, can I supply Methadone oral solution?
If a mixture was prescribed, as an oral solution is a type of mixture, this could be supplied.


6. If a prescription is written for Methadone oral solution, can I supply Methadone mixture?
If an oral solution is prescribed, a mixture could only be supplied if the product’s licence stated that its form was an oral solution.
If an oral solution is prescribed, a mixture must not be supplied where it is not an oral solution, e.g. where it is an oral suspension etc. “

The Society has received confirmation from the Home Office that the above information reproduced in the CD FAQs is acceptable.

The background information resulting in the publication of these FAQs was as follows:

An oral solution contains active ingredient(s) dissolved in a suitable vehicle, while a mixture contains active ingredient(s) dissolved, suspended or dispersed in a suitable vehicle. While all oral solutions can be described as mixtures, not all types of mixtures are oral solutions.

My understanding is that when methadone mixture was first formulated, it was a preparation which was a solution of methadone hydrochloride in the vehicle. I am not aware of any oral liquid form of methadone hydrochloride that is a suspension or a dispersion of the active in a vehicle. Those described as mixtures have always been solutions.

The original formula adopted for methadone mixture never had any official status in the UK, having never appeared in the British Pharmaceutical Codex or the British Pharmacopoeia. However, the formula was published in the Drug Tariff and became known as Methadone Mixture DTF (drug tariff formula). This accorded the formula a form of semi-official status and it was widely used in the extemporaneous preparation of methadone mixture, and was regarded at that time as the only formula to use.

With the inclusion of an official monograph in the British Pharmacopoeia for Methadone Oral Solution (1 mg per mL), this should be the term used to describe the preparation; the term methadone mixture 1 mg/mL appears to have been superseded and relates to a non-official preparation.

The Home Office’s view was sought and it was determined that the following advice could be given:

1) If an oral solution is prescribed, a mixture could be supplied only if the product’s licence stated that its form was an oral solution.

2) If an oral solution is prescribed, a mixture must not be supplied where it is not an oral solution, i.e. where it is an oral suspension etc.

3) If a mixture was prescribed, as an oral solution is a type of mixture, this could be supplied.

I trust you will find this information useful.

Yours sincerely

Mr A. Paschalides
Pharmacist Advisor

Fitness to Practise and Legal Affairs Directorate
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
1 Lambeth High Street
London
SE1 7JN
Telephone: 020-7735-9141
Direct Line:020-7572-2624
Email: Ambrose.Paschalides@rpsgb.org

I can therefore confirm that a prescription for methadone mixture can be dispensed using a product labelled methadone oral solution because methadone oral solution is a mixture.

I have contacted several manufacturers – although I have not heard back from them all yet, I was able to find out the following:

When a manufacturer updates the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) with the MHRA, who approve SPCs, the MHRA now insist that only “oral solution” or “oral suspension” are the terms that can be used. If a manufacturer wants to use the term mixture this is refused unless the product (in the case of methadone mixture DTF) has historically had a licence as a mixture.

This means that in time (if it has not already happened) that all SPCs for methadone 1mg per ml will be called methadone oral solution (because methadone is highly soluble and so would never be available as a suspension). Methadone oral solution can be dispensed against prescriptions requesting either methadone oral solution or methadone mixture (because a solution is a mixture).

However, if any product is labelled as methadone mixture and the prescription asks for methadone oral solution, then the prescription cannot be dispensed. This means that the prescription writing advice given in Drug Misuse and dependence – clinical guidelines 2007 is correct as the term “methadone mixture” is acceptable on a prescription.


Marion Walker
Clinical team pharmacist
National Treatment Agency
15th May 2008

London Substance Misuse Blog by Matt Young

Matt Young one of our tutors has taken the plunge and created a blog spot.
You can find very useful information at the link below
http://rcgplondondrugtraining.blogspot.com/