BPS Plans Exploratory Job Analysis for Veterinary Pharmacy
Washington, D.C. – The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) will conduct a job analysis to explore recognizing veterinary pharmacy as a pharmacist specialty certification program. A call for job analysis panelist applications will be made later in 2024.
“As the pharmacy profession evolves, many pharmacists are pursuing specialized practice. We look forward to working with pharmacists practicing in veterinary pharmacy and exploring the competencies and experiences that characterize practice in this area,” said BPS Executive Director, William M. Ellis, MS, RPh, ICE-CCP.
This announcement follows the receipt of a preliminary request letter from pharmacists with expertise in veterinary pharmacy. Requestors stated:
“Veterinary pharmacy practitioners are found in many healthcare arenas including community pharmacies, veterinary teaching hospitals, private and corporate veterinary clinics, zoos, aquariums, animal poison control centers, research facilities, and disaster response teams. Both the National Institute of Health and the Centers for Disease Control employ veterinary pharmacy specialists. NASA also employs a pharmacist who provides pharmaceutical care for all non-human astronauts in the space program. The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine employs veterinary pharmacy specialists as veterinary medication safety experts in its division of Pharmacovigilance and Surveillance. All but one of the 29 Colleges of Veterinary Medicine in the United States employ veterinary pharmacists in their teaching hospital pharmacies. Many community pharmacies are “veterinary only” and their veterinary pharmacists provide medications only for non-human patients.”
The request further noted that: “…. Veterinary pharmacists are involved in performing medication use evaluation for all species of animals that are served by the pharmacy. Extensive knowledge of the species-specific principles of anatomy, physiology, drug disposition, genetic polymorphisms, toxicology, and disease state management must be applied to each medication order for a non-human patient. Veterinary pharmacists must know when extrapolation of drug information across species is appropriate and when it is not, and they must know how to evaluate evidence to support or refute safe and effective drug use in each species. Veterinary pharmacists must also be familiar with non-human patient monitoring and be able to recognize therapeutic failure or an adverse event should it occur. Veterinary pharmacists must also possess a working knowledge of veterinary-only drugs and understand their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics when used in each species. Because many veterinary-only drugs are harmful to humans, veterinary pharmacists must also be familiar with emergency treatment for humans exposed to these drugs. Veterinary pharmacists must also be competent providers of pet owner counseling for medication use and must be capable of demonstrating administration techniques used to medicate various species.”
Following completion of the job analysis, the BPS Board of Directors will evaluate whether a call for petition to recognize veterinary pharmacy should be initiated. If a petition to recognize veterinary pharmacy is received and accepted by the BPS Board of Directors, veterinary pharmacy will be recognized as a pharmacist specialty certification program. BPS will then begin development of a certification examination for pharmacists interested in the credential.
More information about the veterinary pharmacy job analysis, including when applications open and how to apply, will be shared later in 2024.
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 interprofessional 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 58,800 active pharmacist certifications across 15 specialties.
BPS Contact
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