Advanced Certificate in LARC - Experienced Inserters

Advanced Cert in LARC

This route to certification is open to established GPs and Family Planning doctors who have considerable prior experience in LARC. You may or may not have been certified in LARC at some stage in the past or your certificate may have expired. This route is not open to GP Trainees. Please complete all sections of the application form fully or your application will be deemed incomplete.

Note: Candidates can apply for the Advanced Certificate in LARC for implant insertions only or for IUCD/IUS insertions only or for both procedures.

Note: You must have met ALL requirements before submitting your application. Applications which do not meet all requirements will be voided and you will not receive a refund. 

Register

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• Be working in an Irish general practice or a family planning setting
• Be registered with the Irish Medical Council in one of the following divisions: the Specialist division, the General division or the Trainee Specialist division.
• .Must complete the ICGP LARC course and MCQs at www.icgpeducation.ie
• Apply online and complete all sections of the form fully
• Complete a log of insertions and removals (minimum of 12 IUCD/IUS devices and/or 5 Sub-Dermal Implant devices) in the previous 12 months in a primary care setting. Insertions in a gynae setting under GA are not acceptable.
• Submit payment
• Practice Visit: All applicants in this phase must have a practice visit with a designated LARC tutor to observe a minimum number of insertions and removals depending on the LARC device.
  The practice visit can be carried out by a LARC Tutor in the applicants practice or local area. If you are unable to find a LARC Tutor the ICGP can assign one to you. This takes approximately 3-5 months after receiving an application depending on availability of tutors in the area. Please note there is an additional fee of €350 if you require the ICGP to source and provide a LARC Tutor for you. Please review this document prior to your practice visit.
• Please note, you must have met ALL requirements before submitting your application. Applications which do not meet all requirements will be voided and you will not receive a refund.

Fees 

The fee for the Advanced Certificate in LARC is €50 for ICGP members and €200 for non members. Please note, there is an additional fee of €350 if you require the ICGP to source a LARC Tutor for you.

Guidance Documents

• Faculty of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare Clinical Guidance: Progestogen-only Implants
• Faculty of Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare Clinical Guidance: Intrauterine Contraception
• Code of Practice for Decontamination of Reusable Invasive Medical Devices

Important information regarding LARC STC payments

The statutory instrument for STC payments for LARC procedures contains a clause that states that doctors will be required to have the LARC certificate and this has increased the number of applications for the LARC certificate beyond our capacity. The HSE Contracts Office have informed us that this requirement is currently under review. Pending the outcome of this review the HSE Contracts Office have confirmed that LARC certificates are not required from GPs with existing GMS contracts and/or new entrants to GMS at present.

The College has been assured that this information has been relayed by the HSE Contracts Office to local Primary Care Managers and to PCRS. This therefore should alleviate the necessity for the submission by GPs of their LARC certificates when submitting claims for payments for LARC procedures.