Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Specialty Certification (BCIDP)
Target Population: Pharmacists who specialize in the use of microbiology and pharmacology to develop, implement, and monitor drug regimens that incorporate antimicrobials to optimize therapy for patients.
Program Purpose: To validate that the pharmacist has the advanced knowledge and experience to develop antimicrobial therapies, provide direct patient care, lead antimicrobial stewardship, and improve public health.
Currently there are more than 1,870 BPS Board-Certified Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.
Infectious Diseases 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.
PharmD, BCPPS, BCIDP
PharmD, MAS, BCPS, BCIDP
Girotto is a Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Assistant Department Head at the University of Connecticut. She is also the Co-Director of the antimicrobial stewardship program at Connecticut Children’s. She completed her Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Connecticut and completed an ASHP accredited specialty residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital in Boston. Her interests include optimizing PK/PD in pediatric patients, antimicrobial stewardship and immunizations.
MacDougall is Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy. He provides clinical service to the Infectious Diseases Consult and Antimicrobial Stewardship teams at UCSF Medical Center. His research and reviews have been published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Clinical Microbiology Reviews, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Archives of Internal Medicine, American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, and Pharmacotherapy. He is co-author of Antibiotics Simplified, and chapter author in Goodman & Gilman’s The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases, and Emergency Management of Infectious Diseases.
Kirthana “Kira” Beaulac is an Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA. She graduated from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and went on to complete PGY1 residency at Baystate Medical Center and PGY2 in Infectious Diseases at Hartford Hospital. Subsequently, she served as the co-coordinator of the Antimicrobial Management Team at Tufts Medical Center, while serving as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and preceptor for Northeastern University, School of Pharmacy. More recently, she transitioned from an academic medical center to a community hospital setting. Her research focuses on Antimicrobial Stewardship in Non-Traditional Settings, including long-term care, special populations, and veterinary medicine.
Collins is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Infectious Diseases at Trinity Health Ann Arbor in Ann Arbor, MI. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy from Drake University, and completed a PGY2 residency and obtained a MS in Health-Systems Pharmacy Administration from The Ohio State University. His professional interests include antimicrobial stewardship, quality improvement, and pharmacoeconomics.
Cosgriff is Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at the VA Portland Health Care System in Portland, Oregon. He graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy, and earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Duquesne University. Dr. Cosgriff completed an oncology pharmacy specialty residency at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. He currently holds adjunct faculty appointments at Oregon State University and Pacific University. He previously served two terms on the Oncology Pharmacy Specialty Council, and served as chair of this council in 2019.
Fiona Doukas has experience in establishing and maintaining Antimicrobial Stewardship programs, medication safety, and developing national clinical care standards. In 2020, she updated the national Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Care Standard used by all Australian health service organisations. After completing a Bachelor of Pharmacy and a Master of Public Health (Infectious Diseases Epidemiology & Control), Fiona enrolled as a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. Her thesis is evaluating the impact of interventions in hospital antimicrobial stewardship programs. Fiona is currently appointed to the FIP Commission on Antimicrobial Resistance, and the SHPA Infectious Diseases Leadership Committee.
Kufel is currently a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Binghamton, NY. He is also a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Infectious Diseases at SUNY Upstate University Hospital, where he provides clinical services for the antimicrobial stewardship program and the infectious diseases consultation teams. He is the Residency Program Coordinator for the PGY2 Infectious Diseases Residency Program. He holds a Clinical Assistant Professor appointment in the Department of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Kufel graduated from the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Buffalo, NY, completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at SUNY Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, NY, and completed a PGY2 Infectious Diseases Residency at University of North Carolina Medical Center in Chapel Hill, NC.
Merkel is a Clinical Pharmacy Manager at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center in Austin, Texas practicing previously as a Pediatric Infectious Diseases Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at Dell Children’s Medical Center for six years. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and then went on to complete a PGY1 pharmacy practice residency and PGY2 infectious diseases residency at Indiana University Health. Her interests include antimicrobial stewardship, quality/process improvement, and education of the public on antimicrobial resistance.
Mok is Clinical Program Manager, Clinical Surveillance and Compliance and Program Director of the Fellowship in Health Outcomes and Analytics at Wolters Kluwer, Health. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Pittsburgh and completed his Infectious Diseases residency at the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in St Petersburg, Florida. His current practice focuses on using advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify patients at high risk for epidemiologically significant infection or drug resistant organisms and helping pharmacists optimize antimicrobial stewardship practices with real time clinical analytics tools.
Polisetty is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy and Clinical Specialist, Infectious Diseases at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, IL. Dr. Polisetty is a graduate of the University Of Kentucky College of Pharmacy and went on to complete a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and a PGY 2 Infectious Diseases Residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Polisetty’s primary area of focus is managing an Antibiotic Stewardship Program and conduct research optimizing antimicrobial utilization in a community setting.
Eligibility Requirements
An applicant for board certification in Infectious Diseases 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 Infectious Diseases Pharmacy specialty certification examination. If an applicant achieves a passing score on the Infectious Diseases Pharmacy specialty certification examination, they may use the designation Board-Certified Infectious Diseases Pharmacist, or BCIDP.
- 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 experience after licensure/registration as a pharmacist1 in one of three ways:
- At least four years of Infectious Diseases Pharmacy practice experience after licensure/registration as a pharmacist1 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 Infectious Diseases 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 Infectious Diseases 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
Individuals who meet the eligibility requirements for the BCIDP 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 BCIDP
For the Fall 2023 Examination, refer to the Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Content Outline found in the BCIDP Examination Specification document for details.
For the 2024 Examinations and forward, refer to the Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Content Outline found here for details.
Important Resources
Preparatory Courses for BCIDP 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.
Infectious Diseases Pharmacy
- American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)
(913) 492-3311
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
(866) 279-0681
https://www.rxcertifications.org/Infectious-Diseases/Certification-Preparation
- Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP)
(630) 938-4732
https://www.sidp.org/BCIDP
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 BCIDP Examinations
The sample examination items for BCIDP 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 BCIDP 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 with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who has been receiving voriconazole as prophylaxis for several weeks is found to have new pulmonary nodules during a neutropenic fever work-up. Which fungal organism is the most likely cause of this finding?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A patient presents to a clinic with perforated appendicitis. The local antibiogram states that Escherichia coli has a susceptibility of 75% to fluoroquinolones. Which antibiotic regimen is the best recommendation for this patient?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A 46-year-old patient was diagnosed with HIV and hepatitis B coinfection. The patient's current CD4 count is 650 cells/mm3, and their HIV viral load is 78,000 copies/mL. The patient should receive therapy for:
Correct!
Incorrect!
A mother brings her 2-year-old child into the pediatric clinic with pink eye. The child is afebrile with an eye that is red, swollen, and watery. A number of other children in the daycare center are suffering from similar symptoms. What is the appropriate management of conjunctivitis for this child?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A 58-year-old woman presented 3 days ago from home with a history of shortness of breath, purulent sputum production, and chills. She was started on ampicillin / sulbactam 1.5 g intravenously every 6 hours and azithromycin 500 mg intravenously x 1 dose then 250 mg orally every 24 hours for community-acquired pneumonia. The patient has a serum creatinine of 0.9 mg/dL, a BUN of 14 mg/dL, and has been afebrile since admission.
Cultures came back as follows:
| Blood cultures | No growth to date |
| Legionella urinary antigen | Negative |
| Streptococcus urinary antigen | Negative |
| Sputum cultures | > 100,000 cfu beta-lactamase-positive Haemophilus influenzae, scant Candida albicans |
The patient is improving, and the medical team plans to discharge the patient this afternoon. Which outpatient regimen is most appropriate?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A 2-month-old patient is post-operative day 3 following cardiovascular surgery and chest tubes remain in place. After reviewing the patient's current medication list, the pharmacist notices that cefazolin is prescribed for surgical prophylaxis. The patient is afebrile, hemodynamically stable, and all cultures previously collected are negative to date. From a stewardship perspective, which is the most appropriate recommendation?
Correct!
Incorrect!
Which is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended primary end point for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A study is designed to compare the incidence of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection during the 4-week period after treatment of the initial episode of Clostridioides difficile with either fidaxomicin or oral vancomycin. After completing therapy, 13% of fidaxomicin-treated patients developed recurrent infection versus 24% in patients treated with vancomycin. What is the number of patients needed to be treated with fidaxomicin to prevent one recurrence of Clostridioides difficile?
Correct!
Incorrect!
An infectious diseases pharmacist has discovered an error in which a compounded amphotericin product for continuous bladder irrigation was administered intravenously in the hospital. In addition to the institutional medication error committee, which external voluntary reporting system is best to notify?
Correct!
Incorrect!
An infectious diseases clinical pharmacist is evaluating the newly published hospital's antibiogram, which shows the following results:
% Susceptibility | |||||
| Organism | No. of isolates | Cefepime | Meropenem | Ciprofloxacin | Tigecycline |
| Citrobacter freundii | 72 | 88 | 98 | 81 | 73 |
| Klebsiella oxytoca | 54 | 76 | 90 | 67 | 82 |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 191 | 77 | 80 | 66 | 0 |
Which listed bacteria should the pharmacist advise against reporting their susceptibility on the hospital's antibiogram?
Correct!
Incorrect!
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Recertification Requirements for BCIDP
Pharmacists who earn the designation Board-Certified Infectious Diseases Pharmacist® (BCIDP) are required to maintain their certification over a seven-year period by completing one of the following recertification pathway:
Option One: Recertification Examination
- For BCIDP with certification beginning January 1, 2023 or earlier: Achieve a passing score on the recertification examination administered by BPS.
- For BCIDP 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
- For BCIDP 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 Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) in collaboration with the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), and/or
- The Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP).
- BCIDP may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCIDP programs. The Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Specialty Preparatory Review and Recertification Course offered by any of the approved providers may only be completed for recertification credit up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year certification cycle.
- For BCIDP 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 Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) in collaboration with the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), and/or
- The Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP).
- 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.
- BCIDP may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCIDP programs. The Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Specialty Preparatory Review and Recertification Course offered by any of the approved providers 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 Infectious Diseases 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
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 BCIDP 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
CPE Providers
BCIDP 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 Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) in collaboration with the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and/or
- The Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP).
BCIDP may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCIDP programs. The Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Specialty Preparatory Review and Recertification Course offered by any of the approved providers may only be completed for recertification credit up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year certification cycle.
BCIDP 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 Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) in collaboration with the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and/or
- The Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP).
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.
BCIDP may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCIDP programs. The Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Specialty Preparatory Review and Recertification Course offered by any of the approved providers may only be completed for recertification credit up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year certification cycle.
Content Outline for BCIDP
For the Fall 2023 Examination, refer to the Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Content Outline found in the BCIDP Examination Specification document for details.
For the 2024 Examinations and forward, refer to the Infectious Diseases 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, 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 BCIDP Examinations
The sample examination items for BCIDP 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 recertification examination, please refer to the BCIDP 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 with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who has been receiving voriconazole as prophylaxis for several weeks is found to have new pulmonary nodules during a neutropenic fever work-up. Which fungal organism is the most likely cause of this finding?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A patient presents to a clinic with perforated appendicitis. The local antibiogram states that Escherichia coli has a susceptibility of 75% to fluoroquinolones. Which antibiotic regimen is the best recommendation for this patient?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A 46-year-old patient was diagnosed with HIV and hepatitis B coinfection. The patient's current CD4 count is 650 cells/mm3, and their HIV viral load is 78,000 copies/mL. The patient should receive therapy for:
Correct!
Incorrect!
A mother brings her 2-year-old child into the pediatric clinic with pink eye. The child is afebrile with an eye that is red, swollen, and watery. A number of other children in the daycare center are suffering from similar symptoms. What is the appropriate management of conjunctivitis for this child?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A 58-year-old woman presented 3 days ago from home with a history of shortness of breath, purulent sputum production, and chills. She was started on ampicillin / sulbactam 1.5 g intravenously every 6 hours and azithromycin 500 mg intravenously x 1 dose then 250 mg orally every 24 hours for community-acquired pneumonia. The patient has a serum creatinine of 0.9 mg/dL, a BUN of 14 mg/dL, and has been afebrile since admission.
Cultures came back as follows:
| Blood cultures | No growth to date |
| Legionella urinary antigen | Negative |
| Streptococcus urinary antigen | Negative |
| Sputum cultures | > 100,000 cfu beta-lactamase-positive Haemophilus influenzae, scant Candida albicans |
The patient is improving, and the medical team plans to discharge the patient this afternoon. Which outpatient regimen is most appropriate?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A 2-month-old patient is post-operative day 3 following cardiovascular surgery and chest tubes remain in place. After reviewing the patient's current medication list, the pharmacist notices that cefazolin is prescribed for surgical prophylaxis. The patient is afebrile, hemodynamically stable, and all cultures previously collected are negative to date. From a stewardship perspective, which is the most appropriate recommendation?
Correct!
Incorrect!
Which is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended primary end point for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections?
Correct!
Incorrect!
A study is designed to compare the incidence of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection during the 4-week period after treatment of the initial episode of Clostridioides difficile with either fidaxomicin or oral vancomycin. After completing therapy, 13% of fidaxomicin-treated patients developed recurrent infection versus 24% in patients treated with vancomycin. What is the number of patients needed to be treated with fidaxomicin to prevent one recurrence of Clostridioides difficile?
Correct!
Incorrect!
An infectious diseases pharmacist has discovered an error in which a compounded amphotericin product for continuous bladder irrigation was administered intravenously in the hospital. In addition to the institutional medication error committee, which external voluntary reporting system is best to notify?
Correct!
Incorrect!
An infectious diseases clinical pharmacist is evaluating the newly published hospital's antibiogram, which shows the following results:
% Susceptibility | |||||
| Organism | No. of isolates | Cefepime | Meropenem | Ciprofloxacin | Tigecycline |
| Citrobacter freundii | 72 | 88 | 98 | 81 | 73 |
| Klebsiella oxytoca | 54 | 76 | 90 | 67 | 82 |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 191 | 77 | 80 | 66 | 0 |
Which listed bacteria should the pharmacist advise against reporting their susceptibility on the hospital's antibiogram?
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.
