Oncology Pharmacy

Oncology Pharmacy Specialty Certification (BCOP)

Target Population: Pharmacists who design, implement, monitor, and modify pharmacotherapeutic treatments; manage adverse events or clinical situations associated with cancer, cancer therapies, and non-malignant hematology; and facilitate and/or evaluate clinical trials, research, and investigational drugs. 

Program Purpose: To validate that the pharmacist has the advanced knowledge and experience to provide treatment and education that optimizes safety and outcomes for individuals receiving treatment for cancer or non-malignant hematologic conditions, palliative and supportive care, and/or survivorship care. 

Currently there are more than 4,220 BPS Board-Certified Oncology Pharmacists.

Oncology 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.

Thu Dang
Thu Oanh Dang, [Chair]PharmD, BCOP

Dang is a hematology/oncology clinical pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, MA since 2018. She is also a residency coordinator for PGY2 oncology at MGH and an adjunct professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy Health Sciences (MCPHS). Prior to MGH, Thu worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering CC as a lymphoma/MM specialist for eight years. Thu received her B.S. in biochemistry and PharmD degrees at the University of Washington. She completed PGY1 at the Franciscan Health System and PGY2 oncology pharmacy residency at University of Kansas MC.

Janelle B. Perkins, [Vice Chair]PharmD, BCOP

Perkins is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapeutics and Clinical Research at the University of South Florida College of Pharmacy and practices in the Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Clinic at Moffitt Cancer Center (MCC) in Tampa, Florida. She graduated from University of Florida with a BS Pharm and earned her PharmD from University of North Carolina and completed an oncology pharmacy residency at the VA Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to her current position, she was a faculty member in the BMT Program at MCC where she served as a principal investigator on clinical trials involving graft-versus-host disease and busulfan pharmacokinetics.

Rabia S. Atayee, PharmD, BCPS, APh

Atayee is the Associate Dean for Admissions and Outreach and Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at University of California San Diego (UCSD) Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS) where she is actively involved in clinical, research, teaching, and external national activities with a focus in palliative care. She developed her role and the presence of a pharmacist on the palliative care team at UCSD Health System under a Collaborative Practice Protocol that has been approved and credentialed to practice under expanded scope of practice. Atayee graduated with a PharmD from University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy and went on to complete her residency in acute care at UCSD Medical Center. Atayee is the first pharmacist in Southern California to obtain a DEA license and has the authority to initiate controlled substances for the treatment of her palliative care patients. Her clinical expertise and excellence in patient care is exemplified by the growth of her clinical practice with her major research focus in palliative care with a minor research focus in the area of pharmacy education.

Joseph Bubalo, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP

Bubalo is an oncology pharmacotherapy specialist with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon and an Assistant Professor of Medicine with the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology. He has been active in the clinical care of oncology and stem cell transplant and cellular therapy patients for over 25 years and has received research grants investigating ways to improve multiple areas of supportive care in these patients. He continues to look for ways to decrease the symptoms associated with antineoplastic and associated therapies.

Alexandre Chan, PharmD, MPH, FCCP, FISOPP, BCPS, BCOP, APh

Chan is a Founding Chair and Professor in Clinical Pharmacy at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. He also serves as an Oncology Pharmacist at the UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and a Visiting Professor at the National Cancer Center Singapore. Chan directs a research program in cancer supportive care and his team has published >240 full-length peer-reviewed manuscripts. He received his PharmD from Rutgers University, completed his PGY1 at University of California San Francisco, PGY2 oncology pharmacy residency at University of California Davis Medical Center and MPH at National University of Singapore. Chan has also held leadership positions in various international medical and pharmacy organizations.

COL Erik DeFreitas, PharmD, MA, MPH, BCOP

Colonel DeFreitas is the Director of Pharmacy at Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii and the Pharmacy Consultant for Indo-Pacific Command. He graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy from Northeastern University. Completed an Oncology Pharmacy Residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and served as Chief of Oncology Pharmacy at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, HI. In addition, Erik received a MA in National Security from the Naval War College, MPH from Harvard University and completed a fellowship with the RAND Corporation. He has held a variety of leadership positions within the Military Health System in California, Iraq, Hawaii, Georgia, and Washington DC.

Jin Han, PharmD, PhD, BCPS

Jin is an Assistant Professor at College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and a Clinical Pharmacist at the UIC Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center. He also co-directs the Personalized Medicine Program at UIC. Jin received his PhD degree from Baylor College of Medicine, and his PharmD degree from UIC. He completed PGY1 residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. His areas of practice and research interest include sickle cell disease, pain management, pharmacogenomics, etc.

Yun Man, PharmD, BCOP

Man is a Medication Use Quality and Policy Specialist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University and completed her PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at VA Illiana Health Care System followed by a PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Cindy L. O’Bryant, PharmD, BCOP, FCCP, FHOPA

O’Bryant is a Professor with the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Colorado Skaggs School Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and practices in the Developmental Therapeutics (Phase 1)/ GI/ Head & Neck cancer program where she is a principal investigator of Phase 1 clinical trials and organ dysfunction trials. She serves as director of the PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency Program and Co-Director of the Oncology Clinical Research Fellowship. O’Bryant completed her PharmD at Mercer University and PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy residency at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

Deborah Ward, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS

Dr. Ward graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from St Joseph’s University and worked for 5 years in the pharmaceutical industry as an Analytical Development Chemist. She then graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees. She completed an ASHP Accredited Residency in Pharmacy Practice at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida as well as a Hematology/Oncology Clinical Fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia Hospitals in Richmond, Virginia. Dr Ward is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Pediatric Oncology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Eligibility Requirements

An applicant for board certification in Oncology 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 Oncology Pharmacy specialty certification examination. If an applicant achieves a passing score on the Oncology Pharmacy specialty certification examination, they may use the designation Board-Certified Oncology Pharmacist, or BCOP.

  • 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 Oncology 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 Oncology Pharmacy practice experience after licensure/registration as a pharmacist1 with at least 50% of time spent in the scope defined by the exam content outline; or
    • Successful completion of PGY2 pharmacy residency in Oncology 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 BCOP 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 BCOP

For the Fall 2023 Examination, please refer to the Oncology Pharmacy Content Outline found in the BCOP Examination Specification document for details.

For the 2024 examinations and forward, please refer to the Oncology Pharmacy Content Outline found here for details.

Please note that the Oncology Pharmacy Specialty Certification and Recertification examinations transitioned to continuous testing starting in 2023. To learn more about the transition to continuous testing, click here. 

Important Resources

Preparatory Courses for BCOP 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.

 
Oncology 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 BCOP Examinations

The sample examination items for BCOP 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 BCOP 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 72-year-old patient is being treated with leuprolide 22.5 mg via intramuscular injection every 3 months for prostate cancer. The PSA level was 4 ng/mL 4 months ago and 10 ng/mL 3 months ago, and it is currently 25 ng/mL. A bone scan and staging CT scans reveal metastatic disease. Which regimen has been associated with the largest increase in survival?

Bicalutamide 50 mg orally daily
Docetaxel 30 mg/m2 intravenous on days 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 every 6 weeks and prednisone 5 mg orally twice daily
Docetaxel 75 mg/m2 intravenous every 21 days and prednisone 5 mg orally twice daily
Mitoxantrone 12 mg/m2 intravenous every 21 days and prednisone 5 mg orally twice daily

Correct!

Incorrect!

A patient who recently completed surgery for newly diagnosed stage IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer is beginning adjuvant cisplatin plus vinorelbine every 28 days. For optimal outcomes, the patient should receive this treatment for how many cycles?
Two
Four
Six
Eight

Correct!

Incorrect!

A 62-year-old patient was diagnosed with stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer metastatic to the liver 8 months ago. The patient's past medical history includes steroid-dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The patient received carboplatin and paclitaxel for four cycles, with a partial response. The disease was progressive after 3 months of chemotherapy, and the patient was then treated with gemcitabine for two cycles without response. The patient presents to the clinic for consideration of further treatment. Performance status has declined from ECOG 0 at diagnosis to ECOG 3 currently, mostly due to worsening dyspnea and declining pulmonary function.

Which is the most appropriate management strategy for this patient at this time?
Best supportive care
Erlotinib
Topotecan
Cisplatin and vinorelbine

Correct!

Incorrect!

A patient who is homozygous for the UGT1A1*28 allele may need a reduced dose of which drug?

Fluorouracil
Irinotecan
Mercaptopurine
Sorafenib

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which laboratory value needs to be monitored in a 55-year-old patient who is being treated with pembrolizumab in second-line therapy for metastatic melanoma?

Magnesium
Potassium
Thyroid
Uric acid

Correct!

Incorrect!

What guidance should be given to a patient with multiple myeloma has a serum creatinine of 3.0 mg/dL and a corrected calcium of 14.3 mg/dL?

Avoid milk-based nutritional supplements.
Have PTH checked on a regular basis.
Maintain good fluid intake and monitor urinary output.
Take NSAIDs to manage any aches and pains.

Correct!

Incorrect!

A 59-year-old never-smoker female patient is diagnosed with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma and is to be initiated with afatinib 40 mg orally once daily. The tumor tests positive for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions and is negative for ALK gene rearrangement. The patient has a diagnosis of heartburn and depression, and no history of smoking. Which drug-specific education is appropriate for this patient?

Take loperamide at the onset of diarrhea; contact a physician if diarrhea persists.
Take afatinib with a high-fat breakfast each day.
Avoid proton pump inhibitors because they reduce the effectiveness of afatinib.
Avoid selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants because they can reduce effectiveness of afatinib.

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which study design is most appropriate for an economic benefit in using docetaxel or paclitaxel as second-line therapy for female patients with anthracycline-resistant metastatic breast cancer?

Cost-benefit analysis
Cost-effectiveness analysis
Cost-minimization analysis
Cost-utility analysis

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which is the most appropriate statistical test for determining if the values obtained using a new assay differ from those of the general population using the standard assay?

Chi-square test
Fisher's exact test
Mann–Whitney U test
Student's t test

Correct!

Incorrect!

The primary goal of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is to:

ensure that patients have access to their own medical information.
ensure that patients who leave employers that were providing health insurance may continue the same health insurance coverage for up to 18 months.
protect patient rights by ensuring that insurance organizations are accountable for covering patient costs in a timely manner.
protect patient privacy by safeguarding information in all forms, including oral, written, and electronic.

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which risk factor is associated with melanoma?

Family history of basal cell carcinoma
Personal history of actinic keratosis
Personal history of arsenic exposure
Personal or family history of atypical nevus syndrome

Correct!

Incorrect!

Share the quiz to show your results !

Subscribe to see your results

Oncology Pharmacy Sample Questions

I got %%score%% of %%total%% right

%%description%%

%%description%%

Loading...

Recertification Requirements for BCOP

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

 Option One: Recertification Examination

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

BCOP may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCOP programs. The Oncology Pharmacy Preparatory Review Course for Recertification offered by any of the approved providers must be completed at least once, but no more than three times, for recertification credit in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year 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 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 BCOP 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

BCOP 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:

BCOP may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCOP programs. The Oncology Pharmacy Preparatory Review Course for Recertification offered by any of the approved providers must be completed at least once, but no more than three times, for recertification credit in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year certification cycle.

 

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

BCOP may participate in recertification from any BPS-approved BCOP programs. The Oncology Pharmacy Preparatory Review Course for Recertification offered by any of the approved providers must be completed at least once, but no more than three times, for recertification credit in nonconsecutive years, during the seven-year certification cycle.

Content Outline for BCOP

For the Fall 2023 Examination, please refer to the Oncology Pharmacy Content Outline found in the BCOP Examination Specification document for details.

For the 2024 examinations and forward, please refer to the Oncology Pharmacy Content Outline found here for details.

Please note that the Oncology Pharmacy Specialty Certification and Recertification examinations transitioned to continuous testing starting in 2023. To learn more about the transition to continuous testing, click here. 

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 BCOP Examinations

The sample examination items for BCOP 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 BCOP 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 72-year-old patient is being treated with leuprolide 22.5 mg via intramuscular injection every 3 months for prostate cancer. The PSA level was 4 ng/mL 4 months ago and 10 ng/mL 3 months ago, and it is currently 25 ng/mL. A bone scan and staging CT scans reveal metastatic disease. Which regimen has been associated with the largest increase in survival?

Bicalutamide 50 mg orally daily
Docetaxel 30 mg/m2 intravenous on days 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 every 6 weeks and prednisone 5 mg orally twice daily
Docetaxel 75 mg/m2 intravenous every 21 days and prednisone 5 mg orally twice daily
Mitoxantrone 12 mg/m2 intravenous every 21 days and prednisone 5 mg orally twice daily

Correct!

Incorrect!

A patient who recently completed surgery for newly diagnosed stage IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer is beginning adjuvant cisplatin plus vinorelbine every 28 days. For optimal outcomes, the patient should receive this treatment for how many cycles?
Two
Four
Six
Eight

Correct!

Incorrect!

A 62-year-old patient was diagnosed with stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer metastatic to the liver 8 months ago. The patient's past medical history includes steroid-dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The patient received carboplatin and paclitaxel for four cycles, with a partial response. The disease was progressive after 3 months of chemotherapy, and the patient was then treated with gemcitabine for two cycles without response. The patient presents to the clinic for consideration of further treatment. Performance status has declined from ECOG 0 at diagnosis to ECOG 3 currently, mostly due to worsening dyspnea and declining pulmonary function.

Which is the most appropriate management strategy for this patient at this time?
Best supportive care
Erlotinib
Topotecan
Cisplatin and vinorelbine

Correct!

Incorrect!

A patient who is homozygous for the UGT1A1*28 allele may need a reduced dose of which drug?

Fluorouracil
Irinotecan
Mercaptopurine
Sorafenib

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which laboratory value needs to be monitored in a 55-year-old patient who is being treated with pembrolizumab in second-line therapy for metastatic melanoma?

Magnesium
Potassium
Thyroid
Uric acid

Correct!

Incorrect!

What guidance should be given to a patient with multiple myeloma has a serum creatinine of 3.0 mg/dL and a corrected calcium of 14.3 mg/dL?

Avoid milk-based nutritional supplements.
Have PTH checked on a regular basis.
Maintain good fluid intake and monitor urinary output.
Take NSAIDs to manage any aches and pains.

Correct!

Incorrect!

A 59-year-old never-smoker female patient is diagnosed with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma and is to be initiated with afatinib 40 mg orally once daily. The tumor tests positive for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletions and is negative for ALK gene rearrangement. The patient has a diagnosis of heartburn and depression, and no history of smoking. Which drug-specific education is appropriate for this patient?

Take loperamide at the onset of diarrhea; contact a physician if diarrhea persists.
Take afatinib with a high-fat breakfast each day.
Avoid proton pump inhibitors because they reduce the effectiveness of afatinib.
Avoid selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants because they can reduce effectiveness of afatinib.

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which study design is most appropriate for an economic benefit in using docetaxel or paclitaxel as second-line therapy for female patients with anthracycline-resistant metastatic breast cancer?

Cost-benefit analysis
Cost-effectiveness analysis
Cost-minimization analysis
Cost-utility analysis

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which is the most appropriate statistical test for determining if the values obtained using a new assay differ from those of the general population using the standard assay?

Chi-square test
Fisher's exact test
Mann–Whitney U test
Student's t test

Correct!

Incorrect!

The primary goal of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is to:

ensure that patients have access to their own medical information.
ensure that patients who leave employers that were providing health insurance may continue the same health insurance coverage for up to 18 months.
protect patient rights by ensuring that insurance organizations are accountable for covering patient costs in a timely manner.
protect patient privacy by safeguarding information in all forms, including oral, written, and electronic.

Correct!

Incorrect!

Which risk factor is associated with melanoma?

Family history of basal cell carcinoma
Personal history of actinic keratosis
Personal history of arsenic exposure
Personal or family history of atypical nevus syndrome

Correct!

Incorrect!

Share the quiz to show your results !

Subscribe to see your results

Oncology Pharmacy Sample Questions

I got %%score%% of %%total%% right

%%description%%

%%description%%

Loading...

Certification Verification

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