Pharmacotherapy ensures the safe, appropriate and economical use of medications as part of interprofessional treatment teams in a variety of settings, including hospitals and health systems. Currently there are more than 30,500 BPS Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialists.
Pharmacotherapy
The BPS Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) program is a credential for pharmacists who have met the eligibility criteria below and who in their unique practice ensure the safe, appropriate, and economical use of medications as part of interprofessional treatment teams in a variety of settings, including hospitals and health systems.
The purpose of the BCPS program is to validate that the pharmacist has the advanced knowledge and experience to improve patient outcomes by:
- Evaluating, implementing, monitoring, and optimizing of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapy;
- Providing patient-centered, evidence-based therapeutic interventions and information;
- Functioning as a member of an interprofessional team providing direct patient care; and
- Collaborating within an interprofessional team to improve quality and safety, in addition to optimization of medication use systems.
An applicant for board certification in Pharmacotherapy must demonstrate all of the eligibility requirements listed below prior to sitting for the initial certification examination. Once all of the requirements below are met, an applicant will be deemed eligible to sit for the Pharmacotherapy specialty certification examination. If an applicant achieves a passing score on the Pharmacotherapy specialty certification examination, they may use the designation Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist, or BCPS.
- Graduation from a pharmacy program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) or a program outside the U.S. that qualifies the individual to practice in the jurisdiction.
- A current, active license/registration to practice pharmacy in the U.S. or another jurisdiction.
- Demonstration of practice experience in one of two ways:
- At least three years of Pharmacotherapy practice experience1 within the past seven years, with at least 50% of time spent in the scope defined by the exam content outline; or
- Successful completion of PGY1 pharmacy residency2 within the past seven years of application date.
1All applicants intending to demonstrate eligibility for any BPS certification examination utilizing the practice experience pathway must provide an attestation from their employer, on company letterhead, that verifies this experience accurately represents at least 50% of time spent in some or all of the activities defined by the applicable certification content outline. In addition, this practice experience must have occurred within the seven years immediately preceding the application. For more information, click here. A sample employer verification letter is available here: Sample.
2American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)-accredited/candidate status PGY1 pharmacy residency, residencies accredited under the ASHP Accreditation Standard for International Pharmacy Practice Residency Programs, or Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB)-accredited Year 1 pharmacy residency.
The rationale for the appropriateness of the requirements for BPS certification programs are based upon the following:
- BPS recognizes individuals who graduate from a recognized school or college of pharmacy within the candidate’s jurisdiction. Those jurisdictions recognize and evaluate programs on the extent to which it accomplishes its stated goals and is consistent with the concept that pharmacy is a unique, personal service profession in the health science field. In the United States, the responsibility for recognizing schools and colleges of pharmacy falls to the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).
- The rationale for requiring licensure or registration of pharmacists within their jurisdiction is based upon the fact that for public protection, all pharmacists must be licensed or registered. This is considered a baseline requirement to be a pharmacist specialist. In the United States, BPS recognizes the licensure process administered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) aims to ensure the public’s health and safety through its pharmacist license transfer and pharmacist competence assessment programs. NABP’s member boards of pharmacy are grouped into eight districts that include all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Bahamas, and all 10 Canadian provinces.
- The experiential component is required to help assure practical application of components of the specialty knowledge being certified. There are multiple pathways to meet the practice experience requirement. The faster eligibility pathways recognize accredited residencies through the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP). The ASHP residency accreditation program identifies and grants public recognition to practice sites having pharmacy residency training programs that have been evaluated and found to meet the qualifications of one of the ASHP’s residency accreditations standards. Thus, accreditation of a pharmacy residency program provides a means of assurance to residency applicants that a program meets certain basic requirements and is, therefore, an acceptable site for postgraduate training in pharmacy practice in organized health care.
- Passing the BPS pharmacy specialty examination helps assure knowledge consistent with the validated content outline for the BPS specialty.
The appropriateness of the BPS program requirements are consistent with the Council on Credentialing in Pharmacy’s Resource Paper titled: Scope of Contemporary Pharmacy Practice: Roles, Responsibilities, and Functions of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians.
Refer to the Pharmacotherapy Content Outline found in the BCPS Examination Specification document for details.
- Domain 1: Patient-Centered Pharmacotherapy (65% of examination)
- Domain 2: Application of Evidence to Practice and Education (25% of examination)
- Domain 3: Healthcare Systems and Population Health (10% of examination)
Pharmacists who earn the designation Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist® (BCPS) are required to maintain their certification over a seven-year period by completing one of the following recertification pathways:
Option One: Recertification Examination
- For BCPS with certification beginning January 1, 2023 or earlier: Achieve a passing score on the 100-item recertification examination administered by BPS.
- For BCPS with certification beginning January 1, 2024 or later: Achieve a passing score on the 100-item recertification examination administered by BPS and self-report 20 completed units of continuing professional development (CPD) in MyBPS. For more information on CPD, review the FAQ. To maintain an active certification in good standing, a minimum of two units of BPS-approved, assessed CPE or self-reported CPD must be reported each year.
OR
Option Two: Professional Development Program
- For BCPS with certification beginning January 1, 2023 or earlier: Earn 120 units of BPS-approved, assessed continuing education provided by the professional development programs offered by:
BCPS may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCPS programs. The Pharmacotherapy Review and Recertification Course offered by either of the approved providers may only be completed for recertification credit up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year certification cycle.
- For BCPS with certification beginning January 1, 2024 or later: Earn 100 units, comprised of 80 units of BPS-approved, assessed CE provided by the professional development programs offered by:
Additionally, 20 units of continuing professional development (CPD) must be completed and self-reported in MyBPS. For more information on CPD, review the FAQ. To maintain an active certification in good standing, a minimum of two units of BPS-approved, assessed CPE or self-reported CPD must be reported each year.
BCPS may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCPS programs. The Pharmacotherapy Review and Recertification Course offered by either of the approved providers may only be completed for recertification credit up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year certification cycle.
| Year certified/recertified | New cycle start (begin earning recert units) | Cycle expiration (deadline to meet recert reqs) | Units required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1/1/2017 | 12/31/2023 | 120 BPS-approved assessed CE |
| 2017 | 1/1/2018 | 12/31/2024 | 120 BPS-approved assessed CE |
| 2018 | 1/1/2019 | 12/31/2025 | 120 BPS-approved assessed CE |
| 2019 | 1/1/2020 | 12/31/2026 | 120 BPS-approved assessed CE |
| 2020 | 1/1/2021 | 12/31/2027 | 120 BPS-approved assessed CE |
| 2021 | 1/1/2022 | 12/31/2028 | 120 BPS-approved assessed CE |
| 2022 | 1/1/2023 | 12/31/2029 | 120 BPS-approved assessed CE |
| 2023 | 1/1/2024 | 12/31/2030 | 100 units (80 BPS-approved assessed CE + 20 CPD) |
| 2024 onward | 1/1/2025 onward | 12/31/2031 onward | 100 units (80 BPS-approved assessed CE + 20 CPD) |
For full details regarding recertification, please refer to the BPS Recertification Guide.
Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialists® are required to pay the BPS Annual Certification Maintenance fee of $125 each year for years one through six and the $400 recertification fee in year seven. Individuals with more than one BPS certification are assessed one BPS Annual Certification Maintenance Fee each year.
