Board of Pharmacy Specialties
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 429-7591
(202) 429-6304 FAX
www.bpsweb.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 28, 2011

Contact:
Steve Scarlata
info@bpsweb.org
202-429-7591

ALL BPS SPECIALTIES COVERED BY THE GI BILL

Current or former members of the Uniformed Services who are participating in the GI Bill, administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), are eligible for reimbursement of the cost of any of the certification examinations offered by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS). BPS has received official notice from the VA that the new Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist credential has joined its other specialty certifications: Board Certified Nuclear Pharmacist, Board Certified Nutrition Support Pharmacist, Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist, Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist, and Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist on the approved list.

For eligible pharmacists, the GI Bill will reimburse the full cost of taking or retaking a written BPS certification or recertification examination any number of times, under its Licensing and Certification exam program. Note that this program does NOT reimburse for the cost of exam preparation or for recertification using a continuing education option.

A full description of this program and instructions on how to apply for reimbursement may be found in the VA's pamphlet on Licensing and Certification exams, which is posted at: http://www.gibill.va.gov/documents/pamphlets/lc_brochure.pdf.

BPS is pleased to be able to participate in this program and appreciates the assistance of the VA in securing approval of all of its specialty certifications.

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. .