By Gary C. Yee, PharmD, FCCP, FAPhA
2025 Chair, BPS Board of Directors
Happy New Year! I hope all of you took time during the holidays to reflect and recharge. As the 2025 Chair of the BPS Board of Directors, I want to bring attention to a few of the things I am excited for this year.
By now, the pharmacy community has heard that William Ellis retired after 14 years of service as BPS Executive Director. Bill’s leadership at BPS has transformed the pharmacy profession through his tireless and continuous support of board certification as the premier credential for pharmacists. The BPS Board of Directors, alongside colleagues throughout the profession, wish him well and celebrate the legacy he leaves. BPS will continue its mission of improving patient care by promoting the recognition and value of board certification under the interim leadership of BPS Associate Executive Director, Dr. Brian Lawson.
As Chair for 2025, I am excited for the many events that lie ahead. As of January 2025, BPS currently supports over 62,250 active certifications worldwide and the recognition of 15 specialty certification programs. We expect continued demand for board certified pharmacists as health care systems recognize the value of the patient care services board-certified pharmacists offer. After formal recognition as the 15th specialty certification program in 2023, the examination for Pain Management Pharmacy will debut in October 2025, with registration opening in July 2025. BPS is also looking to the future of potential certification programs, with an open call for petition in Pharmacogenomics, an open call for petition in Pharmacy Informatics, and review of exploratory job analyses conducted in Veterinary Pharmacy.
Additionally, BPS is updating the certification and recertification processes to better reflect feedback from board-certified pharmacists. In 2025, eligible pharmacists will be able to take their examination at any point in the year, with Emergency Medicine Pharmacy and Solid Organ transplantation Pharmacy joining the existing continuously available specialty certification programs. No more waiting until the first Saturday in October, or the Spring/Fall Window! 2025 will also see a new cohort of board-certified pharmacists transitioning to the updated continuing professional development (CPD) recertification framework. The updated framework provides board-certified pharmacists with the option to self-report professional development activities outside of traditional, assessed continuing professional education, such as precepting, scholarly contributions, professional involvement, and more.
The BPS Board is also working to increase the visibility of board certification, within the U.S. and internationally. BPS will continue the successful BPS Ambassador Program, recognizing the unique paths pharmacists take to obtain their board certifications. BPS is also updating and expanding resources for those curious about board certification, including the ‘Why Board Certification Matters’ toolkits and regular updates to the BPS Literature Library, adding published studies and resources on pharmacy credentialing, specialization and board certification. BPS will continue to promote board certification through its research grant program and awards programs, including the continuation of the BPS and FIP Foundation Research Grant which debuted in 2024 to support research outside of the U.S.
I believe 2025 will be another exciting year for board certification, and I am excited to chair the board throughout the year. I would like to conclude by thanking the more than 1,500 volunteers who contributed to the work of BPS in 2024, and the many more who will collaborate with BPS in 2025. A special thanks to the BPS staff, board of directors, specialty councils, and committee members for their service. BPS could not accomplish its mission without their help.