BOARD CERTIFICATION FOR PHARMACISTS

To support the principle that pharmacists who practice where a pharmacy specialty has been formally recognized by the profession should become board certified in the appropriate specialty area; further, 

To recognize the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) as an appropriate organization through which specialties are formally recognized and specialty pharmacy certification should occur; further,

To advocate prioritization for recognition of new specialties in those areas where sufficient numbers of postgraduate year two residency training programs are established and where adequate numbers of pharmacists are completing accredited training programs to prepare them to practice in the specialty area; further, 

To advocate for standardization of credentialing eligibility and recertification requirements to include consistent requirements for advanced postgraduate residency training; further, 

To promote a future vision encouraging accredited training as an eventual prerequisite for board certification; further, 

To encourage BPS to be sensitive to the needs of current practitioners as prerequisites evolve; further,

To actively encourage and support the development of effective training and recertification programs that prepare specialists for certification examination and ensure the maintenance of core competencies in their area of specialization.

Rationale

As medication therapies become more complex, the need for specialized expertise increases. Some areas of health care practice evolve to the point where certification, based on formal accredited training and psychometrically valid examination, is needed to assure the public and other health care professionals of a level of competence, quality, and consistency among specialists practicing in that field. Certification, as defined by Council on Credentialing in Pharmacy, is the process by which a nongovernmental agency or an association grants recognition to an individual who has met certain predetermined qualifications specified by that organization. Formal recognition of pharmacy specialties demonstrates the unique knowledge, skills, and abilities of pharmacists in well-defined areas of practice and provides the assurance the public and other health care professionals need. 

ASHP has long recognized the value of specialty certification. ASHP has been involved in four of the six petitions to the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) requesting recognition of new pharmacy specialties. ASHP was the sole petitioning organization for two specialties, and has worked jointly with other organizations in developing two other specialties. The ASHP Long Range Vision for Pharmacy Work Force in Hospitals and Health Systems states that pharmacists who provide services in an area where specialty certification exists should be certified in that specialty, and the ASHP Supplemental Standards for Postgraduate Training require such certification of residency program directors only. More recently, the Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (PPMI) recommended that pharmacists who provide drug therapy management should be certified through the most appropriate BPS board-certification process if such a specialty has been established (Recommendation B10).

BPS is currently the only pharmacist-certifying organization accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). NCAA accreditation ensures very high quality standards in the professional certification industry. Although other organizations have developed an array of credentials of differing value, those credentials do not necessarily represent the recognition of a unique area of specialization and the development of processes recognized by the profession to ensure the quality of specialty practice. It is also important to distinguish the recognition of specialties within the practice of pharmacy from other multidisciplinary certifications. Although some similarities exist in the nature of such programs, they also do not represent the recognition of a unique area of specialization and the development of processes recognized by the pharmacy profession to ensure the quality of specialty practice. 

The profession should be more strategic in its efforts to grow and mature new specialties. To date, the pharmacy profession has relied upon an episodic petitioning process to identify and recognize new specialties. A methodical specialty development process would prioritize recognition of areas of practice for which a sufficient number of high-quality training programs exist and would promote development of training programs in emerging areas of pharmacy specialization in advance of specialty recognition. 

Eligibility requirements for Board certification vary widely among currently recognized specialties. Although it may not currently be possible to require residency training as a prerequisite for all BPS specialty certification applicants, over time postgraduate year two residency training should become the preferred prerequisite to establish consistent requirements across specialties and provide a stronger linkage between training and certification. ASHP policy currently supports the principle that accredited training is an important future prerequisite for pharmacy technicians prior to certification by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. This same principle that accredited training should precede certification should also apply to specialists in our profession. It will be important for BPS to plan for this future vision and evolve requirements in a manner that is sensitive to the needs of existing practitioners.