Helping patients reduce their alcohol intake is the focus of the new series of online education activities for general practitioners. The learning modules are offered on The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners' (RACGP) innovative web-based learning platform www.gplearning.com.au and are sponsored by the Heart Foundation. 'Alcohol is the most widely used social drug in Australia. Moderate use may be beneficial to the heart for some people, but not all of us. And we know, heavy alcohol use or binge drinking can cause several serious health problems,' said Dr Vasantha Preetham, RACGP President. 'These learning activities aim to boost general practitioners' skills in tackling the growing social and health problems associated with alcohol abuse.' The GP Learning modules consist of multiple choice questions and potential scenarios as well as a case study.

GP learning allows general practitioners to access education activities 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it the easiest way for GPs to update their knowledge and skills. These activities form part of the 'Implementing lifestyle change' module. For more information visit www.heartfoundation.org.au