Board of Pharmacy Specialties
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 429-7591
(202) 429-6304 FAX
www.bpsweb.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Marcch 19, 2012
Contact:
Steve Scarlata
info@bpsweb.org
202-429-6306
BPS to Explore New Specialties in Cardiology and Infectious Diseases
Washington, DC — The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) today announced that its Board of Directors approved role delineation studies in Cardiology and Infectious Diseases. Conducting a role delineation study is a critical step in evaluating a proposed specialty. The purpose of the role delineation study is to determine whether these practice areas are based upon specialized knowledge of the pharmaceutical sciences, as well as specialized functions routinely performed by practitioners in these proposed specialties.
If the role delineation studies in these two areas yield information suggestive that Cardiology and/or Infectious Diseases should be recognized as a specialty practice in pharmacy, BPS will then issue a call to the profession for a petition for new specialty recognition. The complete process leading to the administration of a certification exam in a new specialty takes approximately three years to complete.
Cardiology and Infectious Diseases are currently recognized as Added Qualifications under the Pharmacotherapy Specialty. The term, "Added Qualification," is used to denote an enhanced level of training and experience within one segment of a BPS-recognized specialty that targets specific diseases or patient populations. The current Added Qualifications program in these two areas will continue until BPS makes a determination regarding their specialty status. Candidates for Added Qualifications who applied in 2011 are currently undergoing a review of their practice portfolios in these areas and those granted Added Qualifications will be announced in May 2012. For more information on the current BPS Added Qualifications program visit http://bpsweb.org/specialties/qualification.cfm
BPS will post a call for nominees in April 2012 to constitute a practice analysis task force of 10 subject matter experts in the proposed specialties of Cardiology and Infectious Diseases. Appointments to each practice analysis task force will be made in June. The role delineation studies for these proposed specialties will begin in July 2012.
BPS Executive Director, William M. Ellis commented; "The conduct of these role delineation studies is consistent with the mission of BPS to improve patient care through recognition and promotion of specialized training, knowledge, and skills in pharmacy and specialty board certification of pharmacists. The number of BPS board certified pharmacists has doubled over the past five years and increased by 20% from 2010 to 2011 and exploring new specialties is in alignment with this increased interest and demand."
For more information on BPS activities including applying for the 2012 examination visit www.bpsweb.org
About the Board of Pharmacy Specialties The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) is an autonomous Division of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), founded in January 1976 to recognize specialties and certify pharmacists in specialized areas of pharmacy practice. Six specialties are currently recognized by BPS, including 1) nuclear pharmacy, since 1978; 2) nutrition support pharmacy, since 1988; pharmacotherapy, since 1988; psychiatric pharmacy, since 1992; oncology pharmacy, since 1996. The latest BPS specialty, focused on ambulatory care pharmacy, was approved in June 2009, and is scheduled for its first examination in 2011. More than 10,500 pharmacist specialists are currently certified by BPS.
