...shouldn`t YOU Consider Board Certification in

Current Specialty Options
• • Ambulatory Care Pharmacy includes
the provision of integrated, accessible
healthcare services by pharmacists
who are accountable for addressing
medication needs and developing sustained
partnerships with patients in the context of
family and community.
• Nuclear Pharmacy promotes public health
through safe and effective use of radioactive
medications.
• Nutrition Support Pharmacy addresses
the care of patients receiving specialized
parenteral or enteral nutrition.
The Board of Pharmacy Specialties was established in 1976
and exists today as an autonomous division of the American
Pharmacists Association. BPS has grown to be the premier
post-licensure certification organization serving the pharmacy
profession. Its principal responsibilities include:
•
To
grant recognition of appropriate pharmacy practice
specialties based on criteria established by the Board of
Pharmacy Specialties.
•
To
establish standards for certification and recertification
of pharmacists in recognized pharmacy practice specialties.
•
To
grant qualified pharmacists certification and recertification in recognized pharmacy practice specialties.
•
To
serve as a coordinating agency and information
clearinghouse for organizations and pharmacists in
recognized pharmacy practice specialties.
•
To
enhance public/consumer protection by developing
effective certification programs for specialty practices
in pharmacy.
• Oncology Pharmacy targets the needs of
patients with various malignant diseases
and their complications.
• Pharmacotherapy ensures the safe,
appropriate and economical use
of medications often as part of a
multidisciplinary treatment team.
• Psychiatric Pharmacy specializes in the
pharmaceutical support of patients with
psychiatric disorders.
The Board of Pharmacy Specialties was accredited in
November 2008 by the National Commission for Certifying
Agencies (NCCA). This accreditation is based on BPS
having demonstrated compliance with NCCA Standards
of Accreditation of Certification Programs. NCCA is the
accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence
(ICE) and it accredits programs based on rigorous quality
standards in the professional certification industry.
“Accreditation by NCCA is an important milestone in BPS’ vision
to be Pharmacy’s premier specialty certification body.”
—Terry L. Schwinghammer, PharmD, BCPS
Former Chair, Board of Pharmacy Specialties
Visit www.bpsweb.org for
application requirements and
materials, practice exams,
test schedules and sites.
Board of Pharmacy Specialties
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20037- 2985
Phone 202 429-7591 • Fax 202 429-6304 • [email protected]
© 2011 Board of Pharmacy Specialties
Board of Pharmacy Specialties
...shouldn’t YOU Consider
Board Certification in
PHARMACOTHERAPY?
Ambulatory Care Pharmacy l Nuclear Pharmacy l Nutrition Support Pharmacy l Oncology Pharmacy l Pharmacotherapy l Psychiatric Pharmacy
Pharmacotherapy
Pharmacotherapy is the area of pharmacy practice that is
responsible for ensuring the safe, appropriate and economical
use of medications.
The pharmacotherapy specialist:
• has responsibility for direct patient care
• Examination Content
• Domain 1: Patient-specific Pharmacotherapy (60% of the examination)
• Domain 2: Retrieval, generation, interpretation and dissemination of
knowledge in pharmacotherapy (25% of the examination)
• Domain 3: Systems and Population-based Pharmacotherapy (15% of
the examination)
practices both independently and in collaboration with
other healthcare professionals
• serves as an objective, evidence-based source for
therapeutic information and recommendations
Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialists practice in
a wide variety of settings. Through the board certification
process, pharmacotherapy specialists demonstrate advanced
knowledge and experience that is used to optimize
medication use and improve patient outcomes.
Recertification
• Current, active license to practice pharmacy in the U.S. or
another jurisdiction.
• Completion of three (3) years of practice experience with at
least 50% of time spent in pharmacotherapy activities OR
completion of a PGY1 residency.*
• Achieving a passing score on the Pharmacotherapy
Specialty Certification Examination.
*Effective January 1, 2013, only residencies accredited by the American Society
of Health-System Pharmacists are creditable for this purpose.
BPS Certification Benefits
PEER TO PEER RECOGNITION;
PERSONAL, FINANCIAL ADVANCEMENT
• Achieving a passing score on the 100-item, multiple-choice objective
recertification examination, based on the pharmacotherapy content
outline; OR
Earning 120 hours of continuing education credit over 7 years
provided by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the
professional development program approved by BPS.
• Graduation from a pharmacy program accredited by the
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) or
a program outside the U.S. that qualifies the individual to
practice in the jurisdiction.
Board Certification through BPS has become recognized as
the gold standard for determining which pharmacists are
qualified to contribute at advanced practice levels. Through
the rigorous standards mandated by BPS board certification
and recertification, the specialty-credentialed pharmacist
stands out as the most qualified to take on today’s expanding
professional expectations.
Recertification for Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialists (BCPS)
is an assessment of a practitioner’s knowledge and skills through one of
two methods:
• Current Eligibility Requirements
Which Pharmacists Are
Uniquely Qualified?
• Differentiate and affirm your knowledge and skills to:
•p
rovide more comprehensive and complex care and be
prepared to step into pharmacy’s evolving position on
the multidisciplinary treatment team
• improve your standing in a competitive employment
market
Why Are Special Skills Critical?
As healthcare enters an era of greater accountability, the board
certification of pharmacists is an important quality assurance process.
When considered with other quality indicators, board certification can
be used to objectively determine and validate the ability of pharmacists
to manage the pharmacotherapy of patients with complex or special
medication therapy needs and to teach others how to manage the
pharmacotherapy of patients.(1)
(1) American College of Clinical Pharmacy Position Statement:
“Board Certification of Pharmacist Specialists.”
Pharmacotherapy, November 2011
The employment bar is being set high
by places that have strong clinical jobs.
Board certification is increasingly becoming either
a requirement or preferred status for
job applicants.
I work closely with physicians every
day in the care of patients. Being board
certified in pharmacotherapy improves my
credibility, thereby allowing me to have
a greater impact on patient care.
—Anthony P. Morreale, PharmD, MBA, FASHP, BCPS
—Eric J. MacLaughlin, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS
Residency Program Director
VA San Diego Healthcare System
Professor and Head of Adult Medicine Division
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy
2011-2012 Chair, BPS Pharmacotherapy Specialty Council
•e
xperience increased recognition from healthcare
professionals
• Receive rewards in salary, promotions, and new practice
opportunities offered by some employers.