Board of Pharmacy Specialties
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 429-7591
(202) 429-6304 FAX
www.bpsweb.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 24, 2012
Contact:
Steve Scarlata
info@bpsweb.org
202-429-6306
BPS Issues Call for Petitions in Critical Care Pharmacy and Pediatric Pharmacy
Washington, DC — The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) has completed a review of Role Delineation Studies of three potential pharmacy specialties: critical care pharmacy, pain and palliative care pharmacy, and pediatric pharmacy. The three studies were conducted to delineate the tasks performed by the pharmacists specializing in the aforementioned areas within broad domains of practice and to identify the specialized (i.e., beyond licensure) knowledge needed to perform the delineated tasks.
At the present time, BPS finds the evidence constituting the Role Delineation Studies for Critical Care Pharmacy and Pediatric Pharmacy warrant petitionsfor BPS consideration of these two areas as possible pharmacy specialties.
BPS provides information in the Petitioner's Guide for Recognition of a Pharmacy Practice Specialty (available on the BPS website at www.bpsweb.org) to assist those interested in developing and submitting a petition for recognition of a pharmacy practice specialty. Procedures for the review of petitions are designed to provide for a reasoned consideration of submissions. These procedures accommodate communication from other pharmacists and other health professionals who might be directly affected by the recognition of a new pharmacy practice specialty. In addition, these procedures allow for communication from the public who might benefit from such recognition.
Susan Goodin, PharmD, BCOP, 2012 chair of the BPS Board of Directors, noted, "BPS is aggressively exploring new specialties because there is a need within the healthcare system for the knowledge and skills of pharmacy specialists. While the Role Delineation Studies are valid for 5 years, BPS is prepared to move quickly to evaluate petitions in critical care pharmacy and pediatric pharmacy once they are submitted."
BPS recently committed to conducting Role Delineation Studies in Cardiology and Infectious Diseases. Practice Analysis Taskforces will be named for these two areas in June 2012 and the Role Delineation Studies will be completed in spring 2013.
The 2012 BPS examinations for certification in six recognized areas of specialty pharmacy practice will be administered at more than 60 locations worldwide on October 6, 2012. For more information on BPS specialties, including applying for the 2012 examination, visit www.bpsweb.org.
About the Board of Pharmacy Specialties
The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS), an autonomous division of the American Pharmacists Association, was 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; (3) pharmacotherapy, since 1988; (4) psychiatric pharmacy, since 1992; (5) oncology pharmacy, since 1996; and (6) the latest BPS specialty, ambulatory care pharmacy, was approved in 2009, with the first examination administered in 2011. Currently, 12,900 pharmacist specialists are certified by BPS.
