What is the project about?
The use and misuse of alcohol, drugs and tobacco is one of the greatest health challenges today. It impacts on patients, their families, and the community in general. Those who misuse substances will inevitably be seen by doctors, who therefore have a vital role to play in recognising substance misuse and in assessing and managing the problem associated with this. Substance misuse as a subject in the medical curriculum does not have a high profile, and it is timely that this project seeks to address this. If our future doctors are to succeed in dealing with the problem of substance misuse they require a better understanding of the problem and the interventions which are available.
In 2005 a national project was set up and led by Professor Hamid Ghodse, Director of the International Centre for Drug Policy (ICDP). There is a national Steering Committee, chaired by Professor Peter Kopelman, Principal of St George’s, with representatives from the Council of Heads of Medical Schools, the Department of Health, the Home Office, the General Medical Council, the British Medical Association and its medical student committee, and the World Health Organisation The project is being run by the ICDP with the aim of improving the education of doctors in substance misuse issues and to develop a consensus approach to substance misuse training in medical schools.
The outcome of phase one of the project was the production of a UK corporate guidance document on substance misuse in the undergraduate medical curriculum which was published in April 2007. The document ‘Substance Misuse in the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum’ and its associated tool-kit document covers core aims and learning outcomes for undergraduate curricula, and good practice on delivery. It was developed through a process involving medical and curriculum experts across the range of specialties. It was endorsed by the Chief Medical Officer and the General Medical Council and is cited specifically in the latest edition of Tomorrow’s Doctors.
The ICDP corporate guidance document (PDF) gives three aims for undergraduate medical student education in substance misuse, covering learning, teaching and societal aspects:
- Students should be able to recognise, assess and understand the management of substance misuse and associated health and social problems and contribute to the prevention of addiction.
- Students should be aware of the effects of substance misuse on their own behaviour and health and on their professional practice and conduct.
- Students’ education and training should challenge the stigma and discrimination that are often experienced by people with addiction problems.
The Department of Health of England has now funded implementation and development phase of the curriculum in the English medical schools (24) with following aims:
- To complete and validate the toolkit and teaching and learning resources in order to advance the implementation programme.
- To work with medical schools to implement and evaluate the corporate substance misuse curricula.
- To enhance and equip medical schools to further develop and innovate substance misuse learning in their curricula.
For further information please contact
icdp@sgul.ac.uk
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