Washington, D.C. – The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) announces new policy expanding certification statuses to include suspended and withdrawn. The new statuses will go into effect January 1, 2025, reflecting adherence to the established criteria for maintaining certification requirements.
BPS currently recognizes two certification statuses: active and activity pending. After January 1, 2025, the recognized statuses will be active, activity pending, suspended, and withdrawn.
“BPS believes the purpose of recertification is to help ensure that the credential holder demonstrates a continued commitment to maintaining and further developing the competencies necessary for safe and effective practice in that specialty area that uphold the credential’s purpose. BPS hopes to encourage board-certified pharmacists to make progress towards recertification during each year of their cycle, including completing recertification activities and remaining up-to-date on the annual maintenance fee, as these are all part of the maintenance of certification that all credential holders agree to,” said William M. Ellis, MS, RPh, ICE-CCP, BPS Executive Director.
Certification statuses are displayed within the certificant’s MyBPS profile. All statuses, except withdrawn status, will also display on the public-facing roster of board-certified pharmacists, and certificant digital badges.
BPS provides the following certification status definitions:
- Active: the certificant has met requirements to obtain the certification, holds an active license/registration to practice as a pharmacist, is up-to-date on all outstanding fees, and for any certification with a cycle beginning January 1, 2024 or after, satisfies the annual minimum CPE/CPD requirements.
- Activity Pending: the certificant has an active certification but has pending requirements with BPS that need to be addressed (e.g. 2-unit annual minimum CPE/CPD and/or outstanding fees) prior to return to active status. A certification may remain in activity pending status for no longer than 12 consecutive months.
- Suspended: the certificant did not complete pending requirements after 12 consecutive months in activity pending status and disciplinary action is taken (i.e., suspension of certification). The certification may return to active status by completion of pending requirements. A certification may remain in suspended status for no longer than 12 consecutive months.
- Withdrawn: the certificant did not meet annual CPE/CPD requirements, did not pay outstanding fees, did not maintain licensure, and/or did not comply with the BPS ethics and professionalism policy, leading to withdrawal of the certification (i.e., inactivated, rescinded). The former certification holder may no longer identify as board certified. The individual’s name is removed from the Find a Board-Certified Pharmacist roster. Reinstatement of the certification can only be achieved by successful completion of the entire certification process, including submitting an application, meeting eligibility requirements, paying all applicable fees (including outstanding fees), and successfully passing the certification examination.
Acronyms: CPE, continuing pharmacy education. CPD, continuing professional development.
Board-certified pharmacists whose credential may be subject to status change will receive advance notice via the email address on file with BPS. Pharmacists are highly encouraged to review and maintain their contact information within their MyBPS profile to ensure they receive all critical information regarding their certification.
Once a pharmacist corrects the requirement placing them into activity pending or suspended status, the status will update to active within two business days. The first group that will be moved into suspended status beginning January 1, 2025 will be records in activity pending status since 2023.
More information is available in the BPS Recertification Guide, the Maintaining Certification FAQ Page, and the CPD FAQ Page.
Questions can be sent through the contact us page on the BPS website.
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 has currently issued more than 60,900 certifications held by pharmacists across 15 specialties.
BPS Contact
Alexander Jean-Baptiste
Senior Manager, Content Marketing & Social Media
ajeanbaptiste@aphanet.org
(202) 760-3836