Cardiology Pharmacy Specialty Certification (BCCP)
Target Population: Pharmacists who specialize in direct patient care to ensure safe and effective use of medications in patients with cardiovascular disease, as members of interprofessional health care teams.
Program Purpose: To validate that the pharmacist has the advanced knowledge and experience to optimize patient outcomes by focusing on cardiovascular
disease prevention and treatment.
Currently, there are more than 630 BPS Board-Certified Cardiology Pharmacists.
Cardiology Pharmacy Specialty Council Members
The purpose of the BPS Specialty Councils is to develop standards and eligibility requirements for board certification, develop examinations and passing standards for certification, and review and approve professional development programs for recertification of board-certified pharmacists. Specialty council members are at the heart of the peer-reviewed and peer-developed nature of BPS Board Certification.
Beavers is the cardiovascular clinical pharmacy coordinator at University of Kentucky (UK) Healthcare and assistant adjunct professor with the UK College of Pharmacy. He graduated from UK College of Pharmacy and completed a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency and PGY2 cardiology pharmacy residency at UK Healthcare. He served as the director of cardiovascular services for the Hospital Corporation of America and as PGY2 cardiology residency program director at TriStar Centennial Medical Center. He has published numerous papers, abstracts, and textbook chapters focused on cardiovascular pharmacotherapy. He is a certified anticoagulation care provider.
Gibson is Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. She maintains an inpatient practice at VCU Hospital. Dr. Gibson received her PharmD from the University of Texas at Austin, completed her PGY1 residency at the North Texas VA/Texas Tech, and completed her PGY2 at Indiana University Health/Butler University. Dr. Gibson has published numerous papers, abstracts, and book chapters focused on cardiovascular pharmacotherapy. Her professional interests include anticoagulation, cardiovascular surgery, and health disparities in cardiovascular disease management.
Crawford is a Clinical Pharmacist in Cardiology at Riverside Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth and lecturer at The Ohio State University. She graduated from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and completed a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency and PGY2 critical care pharmacy residency at Riverside Methodist Hospital, OhioHealth. Her professional interests include acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, anticoagulation, and precepting.
Danelich is a US Medical Director – Thrombosis at AstraZeneca. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy in Minneapolis, MN. He completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency at the North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, MN, and a PGY-2 Cardiology Pharmacy Specialty Residency at the University of North Carolina Hospitals and Clinics in Chapel Hill, NC. Most recently, Dr. Danelich served as the Clinical Coordinator and Cardiology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Previously, Dr. Danelich held the position of Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the Touro College of Pharmacy in New York, NY, and he practiced as a Cardiology Clinical Pharmacist at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, MN. He is a board-certified pharmacotherapy and cardiology specialist. Dr. Danelich is active in professional organizations at the local, state, and national levels.
Garwood is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She is also an Ambulatory Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at the Detroit Medical Center and serves as the program director for the PGY2 ambulatory are residency program. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Texas at Austin and completed her residency at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Dr. Garwood’s research focuses on the use of high-risk medications, especially the use of anticoagulants in special populations.
Knowles is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Cardiology with Kaiser Permanente Georgia and her practice focuses on ambulatory heart failure management, population health, and transitions of care. After receiving her PharmD from the University of Florida, she completed both her PGY1 Pharmacy Practice and PGY2 Ambulatory Care residencies at the James A. Haley VA.
Marrs is a Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Sciences and Coordinator for Clinical Outreach for the Nashville Campus. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Butler University and Master of Public Health degree from the University of Colorado. He completed a PGY1 residency at Mount Carmel Medical Center and a PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency at the University of Colorado. He has extensive pharmacy faculty and clinical pharmacy practice experience in ambulatory care, with a focus on cardiology & cardiometabolic diseases. His research interests are focused on the prevention and management of endocrine and cardiovascular disease and patient centered outcomes research.
Pogue is a Clinical Pharmacist Specialist in Cardiology at the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) and Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at the UM College of Pharmacy. After receiving her PharmD from Wayne State University she completed both her PGY1 Pharmacy Practice and PGY2 Cardiology residencies at UMHS. She has served as the Program Director for the PGY2 Cardiology residency at UMHS since 2018. Her professional interests include pulmonary arterial hypertension, advanced heart failure and transplantation, and antithrombotic management in cardiovascular disease.
Rhynn Soderstrom PharmD, BCPS, BCCP is a cardiology pharmacy specialist who has recently transitioned from adult cardiac surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston to pediatric cardiology at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver. She completed her PGY-1 at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, IL and her PGY-2 in Cardiology at UMASS Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, MA. She was the PGY-2 Cardiology Residency Coordinator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital from 2016-2019 and took over as the residency director in 2020 before moving to Denver and tackling pediatric cardiology. Her research interests include anticoagulation and heart failure and she is now working closely with the adult congenital heart disease team at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Talasaz is a Research Faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. She has been a tenured professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, as well as at Tehran Heart Center, both located in Tehran, Iran. Her professional interests include heart failure and antithrombotic management in cardiovascular disease. Dr. Talasaz completed her Doctor of Pharmacy, as well as her four-year Clinical Pharmacy Residency, in Iran. She has also completed her Experimental Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy Research Fellowship at VCU.
Eligibility Requirements for BCCP
An applicant for board certification in Cardiology Pharmacy must demonstrate all of the eligibility requirements listed below. For examinations in the windowed testing format, all practice and education eligibility requirements must be met prior to sitting for the initial certification examination. For examinations in the continuous testing format, all practice and education eligibility requirements must be met before submitting the application. Once all of the requirements below are met, an applicant will be deemed eligible to sit for the Cardiology Pharmacy specialty certification examination. If an applicant achieves a passing score on the Cardiology Pharmacy specialty certification examination, they may use the designation Board-Certified Cardiology Pharmacist, or BCCP.
- Graduation from a pharmacy program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) or a program outside the U.S. that qualifies the individual to practice in the jurisdiction.
- A current, active license/registration to practice pharmacy in the U.S. or another jurisdiction.
- Demonstration of practice experience1 in one of three ways:
- At least four years of Cardiology Pharmacy practice experience1 within the past seven years, with at least 50% of time spent in the scope defined by the exam content outline; or
- Successful completion of PGY1 pharmacy residency2 within the past seven years, plus at least two years of Cardiology Pharmacy practice experience1 with at least 50% of time spent in the scope defined by the exam content outline; or
- Successful completion of PGY2 pharmacy residency in Cardiology Pharmacy within the past seven years.
1All practice experience must be completed post-licensure/registration as a pharmacist. All applicants intending to demonstrate eligibility for any BPS certification examination utilizing the practice experience pathway must provide an attestation from their employer, on company letterhead, that verifies this experience accurately represents at least 50% of time spent in some or all of the activities defined by the applicable certification content outline. In addition, this practice experience must have occurred within the seven years immediately preceding the application. For more information, click here. A sample employer verification letter is available here.
2American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)-accredited/candidate status PGY1 pharmacy residency, residencies accredited under the ASHP Accreditation Standard for International Pharmacy Practice Residency Programs, or Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB)-accredited Year 1 pharmacy residency.
The rationale for the appropriateness of the requirements for BPS certification programs are based upon the following:
- BPS recognizes individuals who graduate from a recognized school or college of pharmacy within the candidate’s jurisdiction. Those jurisdictions recognize and evaluate programs on the extent to which it accomplishes its stated goals and is consistent with the concept that pharmacy is a unique, personal service profession in the health science field. In the United States, the responsibility for recognizing schools and colleges of pharmacy falls to the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).
- The rationale for requiring licensure or registration of pharmacists within their jurisdiction is based upon the fact that for public protection, all pharmacists must be licensed or registered. This is considered a baseline requirement to be a pharmacist specialist. In the United States, BPS recognizes the licensure process administered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) aims to ensure the public’s health and safety through its pharmacist license transfer and pharmacist competence assessment programs. NABP’s member boards of pharmacy are grouped into eight districts that include all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Bahamas, and all 10 Canadian provinces.
- The experiential component is required to help assure practical application of components of the specialty knowledge being certified. There are multiple pathways to meet the practice experience requirement. The faster eligibility pathways recognize accredited residencies through the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP). The ASHP residency accreditation program identifies and grants public recognition to practice sites having pharmacy residency training programs that have been evaluated and found to meet the qualifications of one of the ASHP’s residency accreditations standards. Thus, accreditation of a pharmacy residency program provides a means of assurance to residency applicants that a program meets certain basic requirements and is, therefore, an acceptable site for postgraduate training in pharmacy practice in organized health care.
- Passing the BPS pharmacy specialty examination helps assure knowledge consistent with the validated content outline for the BPS specialty.
The appropriateness of the BPS program requirements are consistent with the Council on Credentialing in Pharmacy’s Resource Paper titled: Scope of Contemporary Pharmacy Practice: Roles, Responsibilities, and Functions of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians.
Upcoming Deadlines for Certification Examinations
Individuals who meet the eligibility requirements for the BCCP examination can find more information about examination dates and fees for certification examinations here.
Candidate's Guide
The Candidate’s Guide is intended for use by pharmacists who are interested in becoming certified as specialists by BPS in any of the BPS-recognized specialty practice areas. To review critical information for BPS Certification Examinations, visit this page.
Content Outline for BCCP Examinations
For the Fall 2023 Examination and forward, please refer to the Cardiology Pharmacy Content Outline found in the BCCP Examination Specification document for details.
For 2024Â Examinations and forward, please refer to the Cardiology Pharmacy Content Outline found here for details.
Please note that the Cardiology Pharmacy Specialty Certification and Recertification examinations transitioned to continuous testing starting in 2023. To learn more about the transition to continuous testing, click here.Â
Important Resources
Preparatory Courses for BCCP Examinations
Certification is a significant differentiator, and the rigorous exam process requires concentrated study. Successful candidates are well prepared, and a number of available resources can assist pre-qualified applicants.
Suggested preparation for the examination might include:
- The study of journal articles, textbooks or other publications related to the Content Outline.
- Attendance at continuing education programs and courses in specialized pharmacy practice.
- Participation in study groups and examination preparation courses.
- Reviewing the sample examination items provided in order for candidates to familiarize themselves with the various item formats which are presented on the exam. Sample question performance should not be interpreted as an indicator of exam performance.
To maintain its strict, independent standards for certification, BPS does NOT provide review information, preparatory courses, or study guides. However, such materials are available from outside organizations, state or local professional associations and colleges of pharmacy. Potential applicants may contact the professional associations noted below for additional study resources.
The Board of Pharmacy Specialties provides the following program listing for informational purposes. This list is not an exhaustive list of options available for examination preparation. BPS does not endorse or provide preparatory courses for Board Certification Examinations.
Cardiology Pharmacy
- American College of Clinical Pharmacy
(913) 492-3311
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
(866) 279-0681
https://www.rxcertifications.org/Cardiology/Certification-Preparation
BPS partners with Prometric to provide the examination. BPS does not have any other partnerships for the certification or recertification application process. BPS partners with professional development program (PDP) providers to provide continuing education (CE) for recertification and the relationship is noted here. Any organization claiming a relationship with BPS for the application process or providing CE labeled ‘BPS-approved’ outside of the organizations listed should be reported to BPS immediately.
Certification for Applicants Outside the U.S.
BPS would like to offer some helpful tips to candidates outside of the United States in order to make their application experience easier. To learn more about applying for board certification as a pharmacist outside of the U.S., visit this page.
Apply for ADA Accomodations
BPS complies with the relevant provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For applicants looking to request special accommodations in their application process, more instructions can be found on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
After review of the BPS Candidates Guide and specialty certification page, some applicants may still have questions. Visit this page to see frequently asked questions from pharmacists pursuing board certification like you!
Sample Examination Items
Sample Items for BCCP Examinations
The sample examination items for BCCP examinations are made available by BPS for the purposes of familiarizing certification candidates and other stakeholders with the structure and format of BPS Certification Examinations. This is not meant for use as a self-assessment. Performance on any of these items does not correlate with performance on the actual examination.
The content of these examples is meant to be illustrative of actual examination items, but these items do not appear on the certification examination and are not meant to identify the scope of the examination. For a more comprehensive indication of the scope of the certification examination, please refer to the BCCP Exam Content Outline.
Examination items are in multiple-choice format. The great majority of examination items are multiple-choice with a single response from among four options. Some examinations may include a small percentage of items that require selection of multiple (three or four) responses from among a larger set of available (up to eight) options. Examinations items may also be supplemented by an image.
View the examination items down below.
A patient is brought to the emergency department for an acute ischemic stroke. The patient is considered a candidate for thrombolytic therapy, but has a history of uncontrolled hypertension. What blood pressure level must be achieved before an intravenous thrombolytic can be administered?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A primary care physician asks the pharmacist for recommendations to initiate anti-hypertensive therapy for a 60-year-old with a past medical history of hypertension and dyslipidemia. Vital signs consist of a blood pressure of 172/94 mm Hg and a heart rate of 52 bpm.
Notable laboratory values available are:
| SCr | 1.1 mg/dL |
| BUN | 19 mg/dL |
| K | 3.5 mEq/L |
| Na | 138 mEq/L |
| LFTs are within normal limits | |
Which initial strategy would be the best available option for this patient?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A patient presents for follow up of heart failure. The patient reports feelings of palpitations and increased shortness of breath. Past medical history includes hypertension, NYHA class III heart failure (LVEF 20%), coronary artery disease, and atrial fibrillation.
Medications include:
| Aspirin 81 mg daily |
| Carvedilol 25 mg twice daily |
| Furosemide 40 mg daily |
| Glipizide 5 mg daily |
| Ramipril 10 mg daily |
A 12-lead ECG demonstrates atrial fibrillation with a ventricular rate of 84 bpm and QTc 474 msec with no conduction abnormalities.
Pertinent laboratory values include:
| K | 4.2 mEq/L |
| Mg | 2.1 mg/dL |
| CrCl | 38 mL/min |
It is felt that atrial fibrillation is contributing to the patient's shortness of breath. Which antiarrhythmic medication should be initiated?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A patient with a history of diabetes mellitus, estimated 10-year ASCVD risk of 14.6%, is currently on simvastatin 40 mg daily for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. After 6 weeks of therapy, LDL-C is 112 mg/dL (baseline LDL-C was 155 mg/dL). Which intervention is most appropriate?
Correct!
Incorrect!
The nurse manager of a cardiovascular patient care area asks a pharmacist to contribute a medication-related section for the monthly newsletter to the nursing staff. Which would provide the most value?
Correct!
Incorrect!
Which statement regarding the use of intention-to-treat analysis within a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial is accurate?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A clinical trial reports that a chi-square test was used to evaluate data. Which type of data would this test most likely compare?
Correct!
Incorrect!
In a large heart failure prevention trial, the following data were obtained: on placebo, 640 out of 2117 (30.2%) patients developed symptomatic heart failure; on enalapril, 438 out of 2111 (20.7%) patients developed heart failure. What is the number of patients that needed to be treated with enalapril to prevent one case of heart failure?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A patient is being discharged from the hospital on warfarin for treatment of a venous thromboembolism (VTE). What must be documented as a part of the discharge instructions for this patient to meet The Joint Commission standards?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A health system is designing patient education materials focused on the primary prevention of ASCVD among patients with hypertension. The focus of these materials is healthy lifestyle interventions. Which concept should be included in these educational materials?
Correct!
Incorrect!
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Recertification Requirements for BCCP
Pharmacists who earn the designation Board-Certified Cardiology Pharmacist® (BCCP) are required to maintain their certification over a seven-year period by completing one of the following recertification pathways:
Option One: Recertification Examination
- For BCCP with certification beginning January 1, 2023 or earlier: Achieve a passing score on the recertification examination administered by BPS.
- For BCCP with certification beginning January 1, 2024 or later: Achieve a passing score on the recertification examination administered by BPS and self-report 20 completed units of continuing professional development (CPD) in MyBPS. For more information on CPD, review the FAQ. To maintain an active certification in good standing, a minimum of two units of BPS-approved, assessed CPE or self-reported CPD must be reported each year.
OR
Option Two: Professional Development Program
- BCCP with certification beginning January 1, 2023 or earlier: recertification via professional development program requires 100 units of assessed CPE from BPS-approved professional development programs offered by:
- The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) in collaboration with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
- BCCP may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCCP programs. The Cardiology Pharmacy Specialty Recertification Course may only be completed for recertification credit up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year certification cycle.
- BCCP with certification beginning January 1, 2024 or later: recertification via professional development program requires 100 units, comprised of 80 units of assessed CPE from BPS-approved professional development programs offered by:
- The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) in collaboration with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
- Additionally, 20 units of continuing professional development (CPD) must be completed and self-reported in MyBPS. For more information on CPD, review the FAQ. To maintain an active certification in good standing, a minimum of two units of assessed CPE from BPS-approved professional development programs or self-reported CPD must be reported each year.
- BCCP may participate in recertification from BPS-approved BCCP programs. The Cardiology Pharmacy Specialty Recertification Course may only be completed for recertification credit up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year certification cycle.
| Year certified/recertified | New cycle start (begin earning recert units) | Cycle expiration (deadline to meet recert reqs) | Units required (PDP = professional development program) |
| 2016 | 1/1/2017 | 12/31/2023 | 100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP |
| 2017 | 1/1/2018 | 12/31/2024 | 100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP |
| 2018 | 1/1/2019 | 12/31/2025 | 100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP |
| 2019 | 1/1/2020 | 12/31/2026 | 100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP |
| 2020 | 1/1/2021 | 12/31/2027 | 100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP |
| 2021 | 1/1/2022 | 12/31/2028 | 100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP |
| 2022 | 1/1/2023 | 12/31/2029 | 100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP |
| 2023 | 1/1/2024 | 12/31/2030 | 100 units (80 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP + 20 units CPD) |
| 2024 onward | 1/1/2025 onward | 12/31/2031 onward | 100 units (80 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP + 20 units CPD) |
For full details regarding recertification, please refer to the BPS Recertification Guide.
Board–Certified Cardiology Pharmacists are required to pay the BPS Annual Certification Maintenance Fee of $125 each year for years one through six and the $400 recertification fee in year seven. Individuals with more than one BPS certification are assessed one BPS Annual Certification Maintenance Fee each year.
Upcoming Deadlines for Recertification
Candidates are required to recertify every 7 years. Certificants must submit their recertification application no later than the deadline of August 4. BPS encourages candidates to submit their recertification application as early as January 1 of their recertification year.
Candidates who intend to recertify via examination should note the availability of the recertification examination and related application deadlines. Candidates recertifying their BCCP credential by examination can find more information about examination dates and fees here.
Candidates who intend to recertify via continuing education (CE) MUST submit their recertification application by the deadline date of August 4 even if they have not completed their CE requirements.
The deadline to complete the required CE for recertification is December 31 for all specialties. The board-certified pharmacist is responsible for submitting an application that is completely and accurately filled out. Incomplete and/or unpaid applications will not be processed.
Recertification Guide
The Recertification Guide is intended for use by candidates renewing their certification. To review critical information for recertifying with the Board of Pharmacy Specialties, visit this page.
CPE Providers
BCCP with certification beginning January 1, 2023 or earlier: recertification via professional development program requires 100 units of assessed CPE from BPS-approved professional development programs offered by:
BCCP may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCCP programs. The Cardiology Pharmacy Specialty Recertification Course may only be completed for recertification credit up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year certification cycle.
BCCP with certification beginning January 1, 2024 or later: recertification via professional development program requires 100 units, comprised of 80 units of assessed CPE from BPS-approved professional development programs offered by:
Additionally, 20 units of continuing professional development (CPD) must be completed and self-reported in MyBPS. For more information on CPD, review the FAQ. To maintain an active certification in good standing, a minimum of two units of BPS-approved, assessed CPE or self-reported CPD must be reported each year.
BCCP may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCCP programs. The Cardiology Pharmacy Specialty Recertification Course may only be completed for recertification credit up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year certification cycle.
Content Outline for BCCP Examinations
For the Fall 2023 Examination and forward, please refer to the Cardiology Pharmacy Content Outline found in the BCCP Examination Specification document for details.
For 2024Â Examinations and forward, please refer to the Cardiology Pharmacy Content Outline found here for details.
Please note that the Cardiology Pharmacy Specialty Certification and Recertification examinations transitioned to continuous testing starting in 2023. To learn more about the transition to continuous testing, click here.Â
Important Resources
Apply for ADA Accomodations
BPS complies with the relevant provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For applicants looking to request special accommodations in their application process, more instructions can be found on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
After review of the BPS Recertification Guide and specialty page, some applicants may still have questions. Visit this page to see frequently asked questions from pharmacists renewing their board certification like you!
Important Resources
Sample Items for BCCP Examinations
The sample examination items for BCCP examinations are made available by BPS for the purposes of familiarizing certification candidates and other stakeholders with the structure and format of BPS certification examinations. This is not meant for use as a self-assessment. Performance on any of these items does not correlate with performance on the actual examination.
The content of these examples is meant to be illustrative of actual examination items, but these items do not appear on the certification examination and are not meant to identify the scope of the examination. For a more comprehensive indication of the scope of the certification examination, please refer to the BCCP Exam Content Outline.
Examination items are in multiple-choice format. The great majority of examination items are multiple-choice with a single response from among four options. Some examinations may include a small percentage of items that require selection of multiple (three or four) responses from among a larger set of available (up to eight) options. Examinations items may also be supplemented by an image.
View the examination items down below.
A patient is brought to the emergency department for an acute ischemic stroke. The patient is considered a candidate for thrombolytic therapy, but has a history of uncontrolled hypertension. What blood pressure level must be achieved before an intravenous thrombolytic can be administered?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A primary care physician asks the pharmacist for recommendations to initiate anti-hypertensive therapy for a 60-year-old with a past medical history of hypertension and dyslipidemia. Vital signs consist of a blood pressure of 172/94 mm Hg and a heart rate of 52 bpm.
Notable laboratory values available are:
| SCr | 1.1 mg/dL |
| BUN | 19 mg/dL |
| K | 3.5 mEq/L |
| Na | 138 mEq/L |
| LFTs are within normal limits | |
Which initial strategy would be the best available option for this patient?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A patient presents for follow up of heart failure. The patient reports feelings of palpitations and increased shortness of breath. Past medical history includes hypertension, NYHA class III heart failure (LVEF 20%), coronary artery disease, and atrial fibrillation.
Medications include:
| Aspirin 81 mg daily |
| Carvedilol 25 mg twice daily |
| Furosemide 40 mg daily |
| Glipizide 5 mg daily |
| Ramipril 10 mg daily |
A 12-lead ECG demonstrates atrial fibrillation with a ventricular rate of 84 bpm and QTc 474 msec with no conduction abnormalities.
Pertinent laboratory values include:
| K | 4.2 mEq/L |
| Mg | 2.1 mg/dL |
| CrCl | 38 mL/min |
It is felt that atrial fibrillation is contributing to the patient's shortness of breath. Which antiarrhythmic medication should be initiated?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A patient with a history of diabetes mellitus, estimated 10-year ASCVD risk of 14.6%, is currently on simvastatin 40 mg daily for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. After 6 weeks of therapy, LDL-C is 112 mg/dL (baseline LDL-C was 155 mg/dL). Which intervention is most appropriate?
Correct!
Incorrect!
The nurse manager of a cardiovascular patient care area asks a pharmacist to contribute a medication-related section for the monthly newsletter to the nursing staff. Which would provide the most value?
Correct!
Incorrect!
Which statement regarding the use of intention-to-treat analysis within a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial is accurate?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A clinical trial reports that a chi-square test was used to evaluate data. Which type of data would this test most likely compare?
Correct!
Incorrect!
In a large heart failure prevention trial, the following data were obtained: on placebo, 640 out of 2117 (30.2%) patients developed symptomatic heart failure; on enalapril, 438 out of 2111 (20.7%) patients developed heart failure. What is the number of patients that needed to be treated with enalapril to prevent one case of heart failure?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A patient is being discharged from the hospital on warfarin for treatment of a venous thromboembolism (VTE). What must be documented as a part of the discharge instructions for this patient to meet The Joint Commission standards?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A health system is designing patient education materials focused on the primary prevention of ASCVD among patients with hypertension. The focus of these materials is healthy lifestyle interventions. Which concept should be included in these educational materials?
Correct!
Incorrect!
Share the quiz to show your results !
Subscribe to see your results
I got %%score%% of %%total%% right
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Certification Verification
BPS offers the ability to search and verify a Board-Certified Pharmacist by name or credential number.Â
