by Ruth E. Nemire, PharmD, EdD, FCCP, FNAP, CRQM
BPS Board of Directors Chair
How is it possible that 2023 is coming to a close already? I suspect that each of you may also be reflecting on where the days went. I was elected to the role of Chair for the BPS Board of Directors after many years of involvement with BPS. During my years as a council member and board member, critical discussions took place to support BPS certifications’ continued relevance to pharmacy practice and adherence to certification industry standards. Ideas circulated on various fronts: improving processes, supporting continuous testing, promoting board-certified pharmacists to our profession and to our health professions colleagues, and making an impact in the United States and internationally.
This year, BPS staff members were busy bringing the culmination of years of work to fruition as many of these ideas were addressed. The number of specialties and the number of pharmacists holding board certification grew during the past year. BPS staff and volunteer leaders are celebrated for their work implementing positive change for board-certified pharmacists.
I am proud to have been involved with BPS for so many years, and to see the organization continue to grow and impact pharmacy practice. I assure you that even as the year comes to an end, BPS Board Members continue strategizing and planning for a successful future for board-certified pharmacists and the future of specialized pharmacy.
While BPS accomplishments are regularly circulated, I wanted to draw attention to some of the highlights we celebrated in 2023:
- BPS welcomed three new team members in 2023, bringing the number of staff to 25, to better serve the growing community of board-certified pharmacists.
- BPS began continuous testing with four specialties (BCCP, BCNP, BCOP and BCPP) in 2023 and will increase this number to 12 specialty certification programs by the end of 2024.
- BPS approved pain management as the 15th BPS Specialty Certification.
- BPS will initiate exploratory job analyses in pharmacogenomics, pharmacy informatics, and veterinary pharmacy.
- BPS launched a collaborative grant with the FIP Foundation to support non-U.S.-based investigators and their research on pharmacist specialization.
- BPS launched a new website with enhanced user experience features to better serve pharmacists, patients, students, and employers.
- BPS debuted five new ambassadors with their video narratives, bringing the total number of BPS Ambassadors to eight.
- BPS announced the continuing professional development (CPD) recertification framework will begin in 2024.
- BPS received the 2023 Innovator Award from the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.) in recognition of the BPS Executive Residency Program.
- BPS expanded the awards program to include the Rising Star Award and the Beacon Award along with the existing Weaver/Penna Award.
I am delighted to have had the opportunity to serve BPS as the Board of Directors Chair for 2023 and to continue to serve on the Board into 2024 as the immediate past chair. I’m proud of what we accomplished in 2023, and I look forward to supporting Cyrine Haidar, the 2024 Chair for the BPS Board of Directors, as she leads in 2024.
I wish you all a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season wherever you are in the world. Thank you for all you do for pharmacy as a profession and for the individuals you take care of daily as a BPS Board-Certified Pharmacist.