BPS would like to offer some helpful tips to our international candidates in order to make their application experience easier. BPS certification is oriented primarily toward pharmacists licensed and practicing in the U.S.; however, we encourage international applicants to apply. Note BPS certification does not confer the privilege to practice pharmacy in the U.S. or in any other country.
Required Documents for Applicants Outside of the U.S.
Pharmacists licensed outside of the U.S., Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, or Singapore must request official graduation documents from the university where they obtained their pharmacy program degree. Pharmacists who obtained their pharmacy degree outside the U.S., Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, or Singapore, but are currently licensed in either of those countries, only need to provide a copy of their current state board of pharmacy license to accompany their application. Review the Candidate’s Guide for full details on the application process.
Non-U.S. candidates must provide BPS with the following at the time of application:
- Electronic documentation of current active legal authorization to practice pharmacy in their country of origin or residence.
AND
- An electronic copy of an official graduation transcript (e-transcript) and/or an official graduation certificate (translated into English, if that is not the original language) as a part of the online application process indicating that the individual has completed an educational program preparing them for basic pharmacy practice (as part of the online application process). The e-transcript must be provided by the university, college or school of pharmacy and candidates will be required to provide the name and email address of the staff member who provided the e-transcript. Click here for instructions on submitting e-transcripts in the certification application process. BPS may contact the staff member to verify that the e-transcript is an official document that was provided by the educational program or institution.
OR
- A sealed hard copy of transcripts or certificate of graduation with seal sent directly from the college or university where they received their pharmacy degree. It is preferred that the school send the documents in English. Submit a Graduation Documentation Request Form to request education documentation from your university. (Candidates must submit an application online prior to having this documentation sent to BPS). Candidates should instruct their university to send sealed copies of their transcripts or certificate directly to:
Board of Pharmacy Specialties
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037-2985
The application will not be considered complete until BPS has received this documentation directly from the candidate’s school. For specialties in continuous testing, applications submitted without a transcript will not be reviewed and approved until the transcript has been received directly from the candidate’s school. The 30-day review timeline will not begin until we receive your transcript. BPS reserves the right to request hard copies of official documents in addition to electronic submissions at anytime to assist in the application and verification process.
Examination Content
Throughout all BPS specialty certification examinations, all measurements from laboratory test results are expressed in traditional U.S. units. A conversion chart will NOT be offered as part of the examination. A reference table of normal lab values is NOT provided. Candidates should take this into consideration when preparing for the examination.
BPS is aware that examination questions dealing with procedures or regulatory issues in the U.S. are not necessarily pertinent to candidates who practice in other countries. However, all candidates are given the same examination and are held to the same standard of achievement, regardless of the country in which they practice and the regulations under which they practice.
