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 30, 2011

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

The Board of Pharmacy Specialties Names Professional Development Providers for Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Specialty

Washington, DC — The Board of Pharmacy Specialties today announced the approved providers of continuing professional development programs for the Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP). The two development programs will be offered through the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and a collaborative program offered from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

BPS Executive Director, William Ellis commented; "The providers selected have many years of experience in the board certification process, including developing BPS petitions, conducting preparation courses and providing professional development programs for other specialties. We believe the approved providers will offer a substantial and valuable mix of live, print, and electronic program offerings. In addition, the national structure of these organizations provides a natural format for Board Certified Pharmacists to participate in professional development."

The first Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Specialty Examination will be administered on October 1, 2011. Following the examination, those pharmacists who earn the designation Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP) will be required to maintain their certification over a seven year period by completing one of the following professional development activities:

1. Achieving a passing score on the 100-item, multiple-choice objective recertification examination (administered by BPS), based on the content outline for the Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Specialty in their seventh year following initial certification;

   Or

2. Earning 100 hours of continuing education credit provided by the professional development programs offered by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and/or the joint program offered by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). No more than 50 hours will be accepted by BPS during the first three years of the certification cycle. Further, Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Preparatory Review and Recertification Courses offered by either of the approved providers may only be completed for recertification credit up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the 7-year recertification cycle.

**To achieve the 100 hour requirement, the BCACP may participate in recertification offerings from both BPS-approved ambulatory care pharmacy providers.

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.