Washington, D.C. – The results of the September/October 2020 BPS certification and recertification examinations were announced today by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS), the premier post-licensure certification organization serving the pharmacy profession. A total of 3,480 out of 5,536 candidates successfully passed certification examinations in the twelve specialties currently offered by BPS: Ambulatory Care Pharmacy, Cardiology Pharmacy, Compounded Sterile Preparations Pharmacy, Critical Care Pharmacy, Geriatric Pharmacy, Infectious Diseases Pharmacy, Nuclear Pharmacy, Nutrition Support Pharmacy, Oncology Pharmacy, Pediatric Pharmacy, Pharmacotherapy, and Psychiatric Pharmacy.
“The number of BPS Board Certified Pharmacists has now surpassed the 50,000 mark and that is a clear sign of how the profession is evolving into more specialized roles,” stated BPS Executive Director, William M. Ellis, MS, RPh.
2020 BPS Chair, Karen M. Gunning, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, stated, “BPS certification is a foundation; demonstrating your knowledge and training to optimize patient care. Congratulations to those newly certified and recertified specialists, your achievement is another indicator of your professional dedication to critical thinking and foundational patient care knowledge in your specialty. By maintaining BPS Board certification, you will signal to all stakeholders that you stand prepared to provide the highest levels of patient care”.
Fall 2020 Certification and Recertification examination results by specialty:
Specialty Initial Certification Recertification Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP) 428 of 689 (62%) candidates 15 of 26 (58%) candidates Board Certified Cardiology Pharmacist (BCCP)* 56 of 113 (50%) candidates -- Board Certified Compounded Sterile Preparations Pharmacist (BCSCP)* 219 of 279 (78%) candidates -- Board Certified Critical Care Pharmacist (BCCCP)* 357 of 471 (76%) candidates -- Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (BCGP) 137 of 286 (48%) candidates 38 of 49 (78%) candidates Board Certified Infectious Diseases Pharmacist (BCIDP)* 206 of 282 (73%) candidates -- Board Certified Nuclear Pharmacist (BCNP) 5 of 10 (50%) candidates 2 of 2 (100%) candidates Board Certified Nutrition Support Pharmacist (BCNSP) 67 of 79 (85%) candidates 5 of 6 (83%) candidate Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist (BCOP) 252 of 419 (60%) candidates 24 of 32 (75%) candidates Board Certified Pediatric Pharmacy Specialist (BCPPS)* 124 of 194 (64%) candidates -- Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) 1,534 of 2,567 (60%) candidates 64 of 97 (66%) candidates Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist (BCPP) 95 of 147 (65%) candidates 9 of 14 (64%) candidates
* The initial cohort of certificants in new specialty areas will be eligible to recertify by examination in year 7 of the certification cycle (i.e., BCCCP and BCPPS in 2022, BCCP and BCIDP in 2025, BCSCP in 2026).
Two examination windows are offered each year; in the spring and fall. Registration for the Spring 2021 examination will open on January 4, 2021 and can be accessed at www.bpsweb.org.
About the Board of Pharmacy Specialties
The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) was established in 1976 as an autonomous division of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). The mission of BPS is to improve patient care by positioning BPS Board-Certified Pharmacist Specialists as integral members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams, through recognition and promotion of specialized training, knowledge, and skills for pharmacists in the United States and internationally. Board certification is a recognized credential for determining which pharmacists are qualified to contribute at advanced practice levels given the rigorous standards mandated by BPS board certification and recertification. BPS currently recognizes more than 50,000 pharmacist certifications across 14 specialties.
BPS Contact
Alexander Jean-Baptiste
Social Media & Content Marketing Manager
AJeanbaptiste@aphanet.org
(202) 760-3836
