Critical Care Pharmacy

Critical Care Pharmacy Certification (BCCCP)

Target Population: Pharmacists who have met the eligibility criteria and who design, implement, monitor, and modify pharmacotherapeutic treatments for
critically ill patients across the continuum of care.

Program Purpose: To validate that the critical care pharmacist has the advanced knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to optimize safety and outcomes for critically ill patients across the continuum of care.

Currently, there are more than 3,990 BPS Board-Certified Critical Care Pharmacists.

Critical Care 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.

Carrie Griffiths, [Chair]PharmD, BCCCP, FCCM

Dr. Griffiths is an Associate Professor at Wingate University School of Pharmacy (WUSOP) in Wingate, NC and practices as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Virtual Critical Care with Atrium Health. After she received her PharmD from WUSOP, she went on to complete her PGY1 residency at the Central Texas VA Healthcare System in Temple, TX and completed her PGY2 in Critical Care at the VA North Texas Healthcare System in Dallas, TX. She is currently the President of the Carolinas/Virginias Chapter of SCCM. Her areas of interest are telepharmacy/ICU, toxicology and infectious diseases.

Russ Roberts, [Vice Chair]PharmD, BCCCP, FCCM

Dr. Russ Roberts is a Clinical Pharmacy Manager for Cardiology, Cardiac Critical Care, Pediatrics and Transplant services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. He holds adjunct appointments at Northeastern University School of Pharmacy and Tufts University School of Medicine. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy at St. Louis College of Pharmacy and completed a PGY2 internal medicine residency at Forest Park Hospital (St. Louis, MO) and a Critical Care Pharmacy Fellowship at Tufts Medical Center (Boston, MA). Clinical research interests include pain/agitation/delirium, sepsis, thrombosis and vasopressor support.

Jennifer Cole, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, FCCP, FCCM

Dr. Jennifer Cole is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at the Veterans Healthcare System of the Ozarks in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Additionally, she serves as adjunct faculty for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). After she received her PharmD from UAMS Little Rock, she went on to complete a PGY1 residency at the VA North Texas Healthcare System in Dallas, Texas. This was followed by a PGY2 residency in critical care at the University of Washington Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. Her areas of interest include infectious diseases, antimicrobial stewardship, and nutrition therapy.

Abdalla Ammar, PharmD, BCCCP, BCPS, FCCM

Dr. Ammar is a Neurocritical Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Campus. He is also a Clinical Associate professor at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy and the University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy. Dr. Ammar received his Doctor of Pharmacy from Purdue University and completed his Pharmacy Practice Residency training at the Cleveland Clinic. He is active within multiple organizations, including the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the Neurocritical Care Society, and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. His research interests include anticoagulation reversal, management of status epileptics, and alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

Jeremiah J. Duby, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, FCCM

Jeremiah is the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist and Residency Program Director for critical care pharmacy at UC Davis Medical Center. In his clinical role, he serves as an embedded member of the surgical critical care service. He is an Associate Clinical Professor for UCSF School of Pharmacy, and Touro University College of Pharmacy (TUCOP). Jeremiah graduated from Washington State University and then completed residencies in general practice (PGY-1) and in critical care (PGY-2) at the University Medical Center (UMC), University of Arizona.

Christy Forehand, PharmD, BCCCP, FCCM

Dr. Christy Forehand is a Critical Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at Augusta University Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia. She is also the Program Director for the PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency and holds an adjunct appointment at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy and completed a PGY1 and PGY2 critical care residency at the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) Health (now AU Medical Center) in Augusta, Georgia. Her clinical research interests include infectious diseases, critical care pharmacy practice advancement, medication safety, electrolyte disorders, continuous renal replacement therapies, and post-graduate pharmacy residency training.

Thaddaus Hellwig, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP

Dr. Thaddaus Hellwig is an Associate Professor at South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions and practices as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Internal Medicine at Sanford USD Medical Center. He received his PharmD degree from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Christiana Care Health System in Wilmington, Delaware. His areas of research include anticoagulation and infectious diseases.

Sarah Miller, PharmD, MS, BCNSP

Dr. Sarah Miller is a Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Montana Skaggs School of Pharmacy, where she has taught since 1988. She also serves as a Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator at Providence Saint Patrick Hospital and teaches in the areas of general nutrition, fluid and electrolyte therapy, nutritional support, and nonprescription therapies. Dr. Miller precepts hospital and inpatient APPEs as well as a specialty Nutrition APPE. She received her PharmD from Mercer University, did a Clinical Pharmacy Residency at University of Kentucky Medical Center, and completed her Advanced Residency Nutrition Support at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Dr. Miller has been Board certified as a BCNSP since the inception of that specialty and has served many roles in ASPEN.

Todd Walroth, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP

Dr. Todd Walroth is the Pharmacy Manager for Clinical Services and is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist for Burn/Critical Care at Eskenazi Health (formerly Wishard Health Services) in Indianapolis, Indiana. In addition, Todd serves as adjunct faculty for Purdue and Butler Universities. A graduate of Purdue University, he completed a PGY1 residency with Clarian Health (now IU Health) and a PGY2 residency in Critical Care with Clarian Health/Wishard Health Services. Clinical research interests include medication use and dosing in critically ill patient populations such as burn and trauma, medication safety, nutrition, and developing clinical services and programs.

Debbie Zock, PharmD, MBA, MHA, BCPS, BCCCP, BCIDP

Dr. Debbie Zock is the Division Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services overseeing the clinical programs at fourteen hospitals in HCA’s East Florida Division. She received her pharmacy degree from the University of Pittsburgh, her MBA and MHA degrees from Florida Atlantic University, and her PharmD from MCPHS University. Dr. Zock’s platform involves implementing, maintaining and expanding all clinical pharmacy avenues in her facilities including, but not limited to, Critical Care, Antimicrobial Stewardship, patient safety, and evidence-based Formulary determinations.

Eligibility Requirements for BCCCP

An applicant for board certification in Critical Care Pharmacy must demonstrate all of the eligibility requirements listed below prior to sitting for the initial certification examination. Once all of the requirements below are met, an applicant will be deemed eligible to sit for the Critical Care Pharmacy specialty certification examination. If an applicant achieves a passing score on the Critical Care Pharmacy specialty certification examination, they may use the designation Board-Certified Critical Care Pharmacist, or BCCCP.
  • 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 Critical Care 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 Critical Care 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 Critical Care 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 BCCCP 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 BCCCP Examinations

For the Fall 2023 Examination, refer to the Critical Care Pharmacy Content Outline found in the BCCCP Examination Specification document for details.

For the 2024 Examinations and forward, refer to the Critical Care Pharmacy Content Outline found here for details.

Important Resources

Preparatory Courses for BCCCP 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.

Critical Care Pharmacy

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 BCCCP Examinations

The sample examination items for BCCCP 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 BCCCP 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.

Which of the following acute or chronic conditions would significantly increases the risk of ICU delirium in a patient with dementia?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Alcoholism
Hypertension
Diabetes

Correct!

Incorrect!

What is the initial step of the evaluation of a potential stroke patient?

CT scan with contrast
Assessment of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score
Immediate stabilization of the airway, breathing, and circulation
Gathering past medical history and current medication

Correct!

Incorrect!

A patient in the ICU with evidence of acute kidney injury is being evaluated. The patient's relevant laboratory results are as follows:

Sodium135 mEq/L
Potassium4.2 mEq/L
Chloride101 mEq/L
Bicarbonate14 mEq/L
BUN21 mg/dL
Creatinine2.1 mg/dL
Glucose99 mg/dL
pH7.22
pCO230 mm Hg
pO285 mm Hg
Serum osmolality330 mOsm/kg

The patient's serum creatinine was 0.8 mg/dL 3 days ago. Which intravenous medication is most likely responsible for this patient's laboratory values and acute kidney injury?

Lorazepam 12 mg/hr
Fentanyl 0.5 mcg/kg/hr
Cisatracurium 2 mcg/kg/min
Dexmedetomidine 1 mcg/kg/hr

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which patient is succinylcholine contraindicated?

Intoxicated man with diabetic ketoacidosis
Man with asthma attack after burning a fingertip on welding machinery
Woman with severe sepsis whose mother has a history of malignant hyperthermia
Adolescent woman with cerebral palsy who presents with closed radial fracture

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which medication can be administered via a postpyloric feeding tube?

Dabigatran
Nifedipine
Pancrelipase
Rivaroxaban

Correct!

Incorrect!

A 75-year-old male patient with a history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is being resuscitated with intravenous crystalloids for severe sepsis. The patient initially demonstrated fluid responsiveness with improvements in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure variability, but is no longer responding appropriately to fluid challenge and has a persistently elevated lactate (5 mmol/L) with decreasing urine output.


Which treatment regimen is most appropriate?

Epinephrine titrated to maintain MAP ≥ 65 mm Hg
Norepinephrine titrated to maintain MAP ≥ 65 mm Hg
Vasopressin titrated to maintain MAP ≥ 70 mm Hg
Dopamine titrated to maintain MAP ≥ 70 mm Hg

Correct!

Incorrect!

A 65-year-old patient, who is intubated and sedated, is started on intravenous antibiotics, famotidine 20 mg intravenously twice daily, and enoxaparin 40 mg subcutaneously once daily. On day 2, blood-tinged fluid is observed in the nasogastric tube, and the patient's Hgb drops from 10.5 g/dL to 8 g/dL.


Which change to patient's current therapy is recommended?

Discontinue enoxaparin and add sequential compression devices.
Change enoxaparin to fondaparinux 2.5 mg subcutaneously daily.
Change enoxaparin to heparin 5000 units subcutaneously twice daily.
Change famotidine to pantoprazole 40 mg intravenously once daily.

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which is an accurate statement regarding tranexamic acid?

Tranexamic acid has been shown to reduce mortality due to bleeding when administered between 3 and 8 hours after injury.
Tranexamic acid has been shown to reduce transfusion requirements in trauma patients who received the medication within 8 hours after initial injury.
Tranexamic acid has no effect on blood transfusion requirements and increased thrombotic events in trauma patients when administered in the first 8 hours after initial injury..
Tranexamic acid has been shown to reduce all-cause mortality only when administered within 3 hours after presentation.

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which is an appropriate rapid-sequence intubation recommendation for a patient with stage 3 chronic kidney disease experiencing worsening respiratory distress secondary to septic shock?

Blood pressure is 76/42 mm Hg; use etomidate for induction.
Blood pressure is 76/42 mm Hg; use ketamine for induction.
Potassium is 5.7 mEq/L and creatinine is 2.4 mg/dL; use succinylcholine for neuromuscular blockade.
Potassium is 5.7 mEq/L and creatinine is 2.4 mg/dL; use rocuronium for neuromuscular blockade.

Correct!

Incorrect!

A pharmacist is designing a study in which the primary end point will be the number of patients with an accurate and complete medication history within 36 hours of hospital admission. A total of 100 patient charts will be evaluated, with 50 prior to implementation and 50 after implementation. Which is the most appropriate statistical test to evaluate the primary end point?

Student's t test
Fisher's exact test
Mann-Whitney U test
Logistic regression

Correct!

Incorrect!

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Critical Care Pharmacy Sample Questions

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Recertification Requirements for BCCCP

Pharmacists who earn the designation Board-Certified Critical Care Pharmacist® (BCCCP) are required to maintain their certification over a seven-year period by completing one of the following recertification pathways:

Option One: Recertification Examination

  • For BCCCP with certification beginning January 1, 2023 or earlier: Achieve a passing score on the recertification examination administered by BPS.

  • For BCCCP 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 assessed CPE from BPS-approved professional development programs or self-reported CPD must be reported each year.

OR

Option Two: Professional Development Program

  • For BCCCP 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:

  • For BCCCP 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 BPS-approved, assessed CPE or self-reported CPD must be reported each year.

    • BCCCP may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCCCP programs. The Critical Care Pharmacy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course offered by any approved BCCCP provider 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)

20161/1/201712/31/2023100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP
20171/1/201812/31/2024100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP
20181/1/201912/31/2025100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP
20191/1/202012/31/2026100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP
20201/1/202112/31/2027100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP
20211/1/202212/31/2028100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP
20221/1/202312/31/2029100 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP
20231/1/202412/31/2030100 units (80 units assessed CPE via BPS-approved PDP + 20 units CPD)
2024 onward1/1/2025 onward12/31/2031 onward100 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 Critical Care 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 BCCCP 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 to provide BPS-certified pharmacists with information on the recertification process. To review recertification information, visit this page.

CPE Providers

BCCCP 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:

BCCCP may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCCCP programs. The Critical Care Pharmacy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course offered by any approved BCCCP provider may only be completed for recertification credit up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year certification cycle. 

BCCCP 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.

BCCCP may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCCCP programs. The Critical Care Pharmacy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course offered by any approved BCCCP provider may only be completed for recertification credit up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year certification cycle.

Content Outline for BCCCP Examinations

For the Fall 2023 Examination, refer to the Critical Care Pharmacy Content Outline found in the BCCCP Examination Specification document for details.

For the 2024 Examinations and forward, refer to the Critical Care Pharmacy Content Outline found here for details.

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! 

Sample Examination Items

Sample Items for BCCCP Examinations

The sample examination items for BCCCP 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 BCCCP 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.

Which of the following acute or chronic conditions would significantly increases the risk of ICU delirium in a patient with dementia?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Alcoholism
Hypertension
Diabetes

Correct!

Incorrect!

What is the initial step of the evaluation of a potential stroke patient?

CT scan with contrast
Assessment of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score
Immediate stabilization of the airway, breathing, and circulation
Gathering past medical history and current medication

Correct!

Incorrect!

A patient in the ICU with evidence of acute kidney injury is being evaluated. The patient's relevant laboratory results are as follows:

Sodium135 mEq/L
Potassium4.2 mEq/L
Chloride101 mEq/L
Bicarbonate14 mEq/L
BUN21 mg/dL
Creatinine2.1 mg/dL
Glucose99 mg/dL
pH7.22
pCO230 mm Hg
pO285 mm Hg
Serum osmolality330 mOsm/kg

The patient's serum creatinine was 0.8 mg/dL 3 days ago. Which intravenous medication is most likely responsible for this patient's laboratory values and acute kidney injury?

Lorazepam 12 mg/hr
Fentanyl 0.5 mcg/kg/hr
Cisatracurium 2 mcg/kg/min
Dexmedetomidine 1 mcg/kg/hr

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which patient is succinylcholine contraindicated?

Intoxicated man with diabetic ketoacidosis
Man with asthma attack after burning a fingertip on welding machinery
Woman with severe sepsis whose mother has a history of malignant hyperthermia
Adolescent woman with cerebral palsy who presents with closed radial fracture

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which medication can be administered via a postpyloric feeding tube?

Dabigatran
Nifedipine
Pancrelipase
Rivaroxaban

Correct!

Incorrect!

A 75-year-old male patient with a history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is being resuscitated with intravenous crystalloids for severe sepsis. The patient initially demonstrated fluid responsiveness with improvements in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure variability, but is no longer responding appropriately to fluid challenge and has a persistently elevated lactate (5 mmol/L) with decreasing urine output.


Which treatment regimen is most appropriate?

Epinephrine titrated to maintain MAP ≥ 65 mm Hg
Norepinephrine titrated to maintain MAP ≥ 65 mm Hg
Vasopressin titrated to maintain MAP ≥ 70 mm Hg
Dopamine titrated to maintain MAP ≥ 70 mm Hg

Correct!

Incorrect!

A 65-year-old patient, who is intubated and sedated, is started on intravenous antibiotics, famotidine 20 mg intravenously twice daily, and enoxaparin 40 mg subcutaneously once daily. On day 2, blood-tinged fluid is observed in the nasogastric tube, and the patient's Hgb drops from 10.5 g/dL to 8 g/dL.


Which change to patient's current therapy is recommended?

Discontinue enoxaparin and add sequential compression devices.
Change enoxaparin to fondaparinux 2.5 mg subcutaneously daily.
Change enoxaparin to heparin 5000 units subcutaneously twice daily.
Change famotidine to pantoprazole 40 mg intravenously once daily.

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which is an accurate statement regarding tranexamic acid?

Tranexamic acid has been shown to reduce mortality due to bleeding when administered between 3 and 8 hours after injury.
Tranexamic acid has been shown to reduce transfusion requirements in trauma patients who received the medication within 8 hours after initial injury.
Tranexamic acid has no effect on blood transfusion requirements and increased thrombotic events in trauma patients when administered in the first 8 hours after initial injury..
Tranexamic acid has been shown to reduce all-cause mortality only when administered within 3 hours after presentation.

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which is an appropriate rapid-sequence intubation recommendation for a patient with stage 3 chronic kidney disease experiencing worsening respiratory distress secondary to septic shock?

Blood pressure is 76/42 mm Hg; use etomidate for induction.
Blood pressure is 76/42 mm Hg; use ketamine for induction.
Potassium is 5.7 mEq/L and creatinine is 2.4 mg/dL; use succinylcholine for neuromuscular blockade.
Potassium is 5.7 mEq/L and creatinine is 2.4 mg/dL; use rocuronium for neuromuscular blockade.

Correct!

Incorrect!

A pharmacist is designing a study in which the primary end point will be the number of patients with an accurate and complete medication history within 36 hours of hospital admission. A total of 100 patient charts will be evaluated, with 50 prior to implementation and 50 after implementation. Which is the most appropriate statistical test to evaluate the primary end point?

Student's t test
Fisher's exact test
Mann-Whitney U test
Logistic regression

Correct!

Incorrect!

Share the quiz to show your results !

Subscribe to see your results

Critical Care Pharmacy Sample Questions

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Certification Verification

BPS offers the ability to search and verify a Board-Certified Pharmacist by name or credential number.Â