Your scribe has completed the Grand Slam and been to Glasgow for the RCGP conference, then Liverpool for IHRA and finally Bristol for the RCPsych Faculty of Addictions conferences - all were great fun and very different: the RCGP was as usual a great event for networking, meeting up with old friends and seeing how GP addiction services are progressing around the country; IHRA was a gigantic meeting in beautiful Liverpool - many hundreds of delegates from all over the world to examine international drugs policies on Harm Reduction, with a good deal of time devoted to discussing "Recovery" - incuding Prof McKeganey bravely standing in the lion's den to debate his ideas....and Bristol? well give the RCPsych Faculty conference a try folks - it is a most exciting forum for discussing science and theory.... I heard a fascinating presentation on designer drugs amongst many others....next year's is in Newcastle - details will follow as usual.So here's a bunch of links you might like to look at:
Want a bit of fun, and to direct carers and service users for education around overdose? - then click here for "The OD Game" and test yourselves!
For a billion statistics on injecting drug harm and needle exchange etc click here for the IDU reference group.
The British Pain Society's Guide to Opioids for persistent pain is a "must-read" for your CPD - download it by clicking here before they start charging for it!
Stanton Peel, veteran addiction psychologist who is always great value for a speech because of his forthright views, has his own blog which is much more entertaining than mine - click here and you will be whisked over to it.
And finally SMART is a new mutual aid recovery program which is spreading fast and may appeal to some who have, rightly or wrongly, been put off by 12 Step groups - they have a great website, have a look by clicking here.
