Washington, DC – The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) recently approved recommendations from the Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Specialty Council and the Geriatric Pharmacy Specialty Council to revise practice eligibility criteria for their respective specialty certification examinations. The revised eligibility criteria for the two specialties promotes better alignment among eligibility pathways across all BPS specialties and recognizes the value of residency training while maintaining flexible eligibility pathway options for candidates. The new eligibility criteria for the Ambulatory Care Pharmacy and Geriatric Pharmacy certification examinations go into effect January 1, 2023.
In considering changes to the Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Specialty eligibility criteria, the Specialty Council noted that since the introduction of the Board-Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP) credential in 2011, PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy residencies have expanded by 85% in the last five years. Council members also agreed that under the previous eligibility criteria, completing a PGY1 residency plus one-year of practice experience is not equivalent to a formal, accredited PGY2 residency in Ambulatory Care Pharmacy. The only eligibility pathway that changed from the previous criteria is the pathway recognizing PGY1 residency training plus practice experience (pathway 2); the updated pathway increases the practice experience from one to two years. Under the updated pathway, a PGY1 pharmacy residency plus two years of practice experience will be required to demonstrate eligibility. The other eligibility pathways, recognizing practice experience without a pharmacy residency (pathway 1) and PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy residency (pathway 3), remain unchanged.
Eligibility pathways to board certification in Ambulatory Care Pharmacy will be updated in 2023 to include the following:
- Completion of four (4) years of ≥50% specialty area practice experience within the last seven (7) years, or
- Successful completion of an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)-accredited/candidate status PGY1 pharmacy residency or Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB)-accredited Year 1 pharmacy residency plus two (2) years of specialty area practice experience, or
- Successful completion of an ASHP-accredited/candidate status PGY2 Ambulatory Care pharmacy residency.
It should be noted that Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB)-accredited Year 1 pharmacy residencies will be accepted in 2022 as part of the existing eligibility pathway.
The Geriatric Pharmacy Specialty Council also made recommendations that were approved by the BPS Board of Directors to update eligibility criteria. The Council noted that there was no formal recognition of either a PGY1 residency or PGY2 Geriatric Pharmacy residency in the previous eligibility criteria. The Council believes that recognizing the value of residency training is important for the rigor of the specialty, especially as it relates to the Board-Certified Geriatric Pharmacist’s evolving advanced specialist role for a growing patient population. These changes now bring the Geriatric Pharmacy Specialty into general alignment with other BPS specialties by formally recognizing pathways that include accredited residency programs. The specialty maintains an eligibility pathway that does not require residency training but elevates practice experience from two to four years in the absence of residency training.
Eligibility pathways to board certification in Geriatric Pharmacy will be updated to include the following:
- Completion of four (4) years of ≥50% specialty area practice experience within the last seven (7) years, or
- Successful completion of an ASHP-accredited/candidate status PGY1 pharmacy residency or CPRB-accredited Year 1 pharmacy residency plus two (2) years of specialty area practice experience, or
- Successful completion of an ASHP-accredited/candidate status PGY2 Geriatric pharmacy residency.
It should be noted that Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB)-accredited Year 1 pharmacy residencies will be accepted in 2022 as part of the existing eligibility pathway.
The BPS Board of Directors applauds the members of both the Ambulatory Care Pharmacy and Geriatric Pharmacy Specialty Councils for the thoughtful and deliberative recommendations for revision.
Additional information regarding eligibility criteria for Ambulatory Care Pharmacy can be found here and Geriatric Pharmacy can be found here. Questions or concerns can be directed to Ellie LaNou, Director of Professional Affairs at elanou@aphanet.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 51,500 active pharmacist certifications in 14 specialties.
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