Advanced Certificates and Certifications for Pharmacists and Pharmacies
With the continuously expanding scope of our pharmacy practice, it’s more critical than ever for pharmacists to stay current. Pharmacists are discovering that having a particular skill set beyond what is taught to pharmacy students is quite advantageous. While pharmacists are well-equipped to meet today’s difficulties, they are discovering that having a certification in a specific area makes it simpler to promote themselves as important physicians in the health-care system. Third parties and patients will be more likely to pay for pharmacists’ cognitive talents if they view pharmacists as being able to deliver a distinctive service to them in controlling their disease state.
Advanced Certificates for Pharmacists
Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS): The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) was established in 1976 as an independent certifying organization of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). The four basic responsibilities of BPS are as follows:
Identifies and acknowledges key specialty practice areas; establishes standards for pharmacy students get specialist certification and recertification; objectively evaluates persons seeking certification and recertification; and serves as a resource and coordinating organization for pharmaceutical specializations.
BPS’s top priority is to ensure that the public receives the degree of pharmacy care that will improve a patient’s quality of life. The Board has identified six specialty practice areas to help achieve this goal..
Ambulatory Care (BCACP)
Ambulatory care pharmacy practice is defined as the delivery of integrated, accessible health care services by pharmacists who are responsible for addressing pharmaceutical needs, forging long-term relationships with patients, and for practicing in the context of family and community. Direct patient care and medication management for ambulatory patients, long-term relationships, care coordination, patient advocacy, wellness and health promotion, triage and referral, and patient education and self-management are all used to achieve this.
Ambulatory care pharmacists operate in both institutional and community-based clinics, providing direct care to a wide range of patients. The exam must be taken at one of the BPS-approved locations, which may be located on their website.
Critical Care (BCCCP)
Critical care pharmacy practice focuses on pharmacists providing patient care services as members of inter-professional teams, ensuring the safe and effective use of drugs in critically ill patients. For patients whose pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters differ significantly from those of a non-critically sick patient, the practice necessitates an informed, timely appraisal of clinical data. To make reasoned judgments for highly dynamic patients with life-threatening diseases and complex prescription regimens, pharmacists in this discipline must
study, analyse, and reassess diverse clinical and technology information on a regular basis.
Geriatric Certification (CCGP)
The Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (CGP) credential has been brought within the BPS portfolio of pharmacist credentials by the Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy (CCGP). On January 1, 2017, the Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (CGP) credential became the Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (BCGP). Until the supply of business cards, etc. are depleted, either designation (CGP or BCGP) can be utilised. Pharmacists who certify or recertify on or after January 1, 2017 will obtain a certificate from the Board of Pharmacy Specialties labelled “Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist.”
Nuclear Certification (BCNP)
A nuclear pharmacist is an expert in radiopharmaceutical procurement, compounding, quality assurance, dispensing, distribution, and development. A nuclear pharmacist also keeps track of patient results and gives information and advice on health and safety issues. This exam must be taken at one of the BPS-approved testing locations, which may be located on their website.
Nutrition Support Certification (BCNSP)
The nutrition support pharmacist is in charge of fostering the maintenance and restoration of good nutritional status, as well as devising and changing treatment to meet the patient’s needs. They are in charge of direct patient care and are frequently part of a multidisciplinary nutrition support team. This exam must be taken at one of the BPS-approved testing locations, which may be located on their website.
Oncology Certification (BCOP)
The oncology pharmacist supports the best possible care for patients with cancer and its comorbidities. These experts are involved in the identification, management, and prevention of distinct morbidities related to cancer and cancer treatment. This exam must be taken by Pharmacy students at one of the BPS-approved testing locations, which may be located on their website.
Pediatric Certification (BCPPS)
The BPS Board Certified Pediatric Pharmacy Specialist (BCPPS) programme is a credential for pharmacists who have met the eligibility criteria below and who assure safe and effective drug use and optimal medication therapy results in patients under the age of 18 in their particular practise.
Pharmacotherapy Certification (BCPS)
The pharmacotherapy pharmacist is in charge of providing direct patient care and frequently works as part of a multidisciplinary team. They may undertake clinical research and serve as a main source of medication information for other medical professionals. This exam must be taken at one of the BPS-approved testing locations, which may be located on their website.
Psychiatric Certification (BCPP)
A psychiatric pharmacist is responsible for optimizing drug treatment and patient care by completing patient evaluations, recommending suitable treatment plans, monitoring patient response, and detecting drug-induced difficulties as part of a multidisciplinary treatment team. This exam must be taken at one of the BPS-approved testing locations, which may be located on their website.
Other Certifications
Certified Pain Educator (CPE)
A pain educator is a healthcare expert that educates other healthcare professionals and/or patients about pain assessment, evaluation, and management through “curbside consults” inside a clinical practise or formal presentations and direct contact. The exam is available at more than 200 Testing Centers in the United States and Canada.
Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE)
Diabetes education is provided by health care professionals who have the necessary credentials and expertise to practise within the scope of their specialty. This test must be completed in an NCBDE-approved testing centre, which can be found on the NCBDE website.
Asthma Certification (AE-C)
For information on courses that are optional in preparing for the exam, pharmacists should contact professional organisations such as the American Lung Association, American Association of Respiratory Care, Association of Asthma Educators, National Respiratory Training Center American Pharmacists Association, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and other related organisations. The NAECB exam is a voluntary assessment programme that assesses certified health professionals’ asthma education expertise. It’s a method of determining whether or not a person’s education and experience requirements have been met.
This exam is taken on a computer at one of the NAECB’s certified testing centers, which can be found on their website.
Anticoagulation Specialist (CACP)
This is an anticoagulant therapy and monitoring self-study course. Pharmacists can get a manual from the CACP to assist them prepare. For the practical portion of the exam, the pharmacist must document 36 patient clinical experiences, which will be examined before being granted permission to take the certification exam. The exam must be taken at one of the CACP-approved testing centres listed on the website.
American Pharmacists Advanced Certificates
The American Pharmacists Association offers other advanced certificates to pharmacists as well. For more information on these certificates please click here.
Advanced Certificates Available for Pharmacies
Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation
When all other efforts have failed, compounding pharmacists create bespoke drugs. With an estimated 30 to 40 million prescriptions compounded each year, the pharmacy profession identified a need for a more comprehensive, profession-wide system of standards that would allow each compounding pharmacy to test its quality operations. Patients and prescribers can use PCAB accreditation to find a pharmacy that fulfils high quality criteria. Accreditation is done once a survey appointment is set up at the drugstore.
Tobacco Treatment Specialist Information
This certificate is maintained by ATTUD. If you are interested in learning more about this certificate and where you can complete the training click here.
Point of Care Testing
The Community Pharmacy based Point-of-Care Testing certificate programme prepares participants to deliver a number of point-of-care tests, as well as health and physical exams. It is designed for community pharmacy, academics, and pharmacy association professionals. For those who successfully complete the course requirements and assessments, including 12 hours of home study and eight hours of live training about disease states, physical assessments, point-of-care tests, collaborative practice models, and business models, the accredited certificate programme includes 20 hours of Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) credit. PPA hosts a point-of-care testing programme at its Conference on a regular basis.
AAHIVP and AAHIVE
Only clinically experienced pharmacists who: a.) specialize in some area of HIV care, and b.) have at least some direct clinical involvement on a regular basis are eligible for the Academy’s HIV PharmacistTM (AAHIVP) certification programme. This clinical “experience” criteria can be met in a variety of ways, from full-time clinical practise employment to providers who work in administrative roles but spend one or more days per month in a direct clinical care setting on a regular basis. To acquire the “AAHIVP” designation, recertified AAHIVE-credentialed pharmacists who participated in the 3-year pilot testing rollout must now have at least this basic level of clinical care activity..
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