The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) has approved a five-component professional development program, to be developed and delivered by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) for the recertification of Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialists (BCPSs) beginning in 2016.

The five components will provide opportunities for BCPSs who elect to recertify by continuing education to earn more than the 120.0 hours of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credit required over a 7-year period. ACCP will record and report directly to BPS the recertification credit earned by BCPSs in each component.

The five components, available annually (beginning in 2016), are as follows:

1. Pharmacotherapy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course
2. Pharmacotherapy Updates Plus Webinar
3. Pharmacotherapy Self-Assessment Program (PSAP)
4. From Theory to Bedside: Clinical Reasoning Series
5. Fundamentals of Biostatistics and Clinical Trial Workshop

Each component will cover the domains, tasks, and knowledge statements as delineated by the BPS Specialty Council on Pharmacotherapy and published in the content outline for the Pharmacotherapy Specialty Certification Examination. BCPSs may select from among these annual components to earn the required number of hours during their certification cycle. Each component, priced separately, will include a Web-based posttest.

The table below summarizes the minimum recertification credit hours offered each year by each program component beginning in January 2016. In total, the program will offer a minimum of 71.0 credit hours toward BCPS recertification each year with a total of 403.0 hours offered over 7 years. Of these 497.0 hours, a minimum of 382.0 will be available to individual BCPSs. Factored into the total minimum eligible hours is a limitation on the use of the Pharmacotherapy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course and the Fundamentals of Biostatistics and Study Design Workshop, which may be used no more than twice and not in 2 consecutive years.

The Pharmacotherapy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course will provide a comprehensive review of pediatric pharmacy topics within the scope of services provided by pharmacotherapy specialists. The Pharmacotherapy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course will typically be offered live every April and will be available for home study in various formats including an online program and a workbook package. The in-person live offering is currently suspended. Home study materials will be released around June 1 each year.

A minimum of 20.0 hours of recertification credit will be available for participants each year. To earn recertification credit from the Pharmacotherapy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course, BCPSs must either attend the live program or complete the instructional materials for home study and successfully complete the Web-based posttest by the deadline. Only completed tests will be eligible for credit.

Note: The Pharmacotherapy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course may be completed for recertification credit, in either in live or home study format, up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the 7-year certification cycle.

The Pharmacotherapy Updates Plus Webinar, presented live and audio-recorded for home study, is designed to cover new knowledge and developments in the specialty that have been released since the previously delivered live review and recertification course. The webinar will be presented live in February each year (starting in 2020). The home study version will be available by March 15 each year. A minimum of 2.0 hours of recertification credit will be available for participants each year. BCPSs must either attend the live program or complete the instructional materials for home study and successfully complete the Web-based posttest by the deadline. Only completed tests will be eligible for credit; no partial or incomplete tests will be processed.

PSAP is an online study program that will provide BCPSs with previously unpublished material on contemporary topics related to the Pharmacotherapy specialty. PSAP books will be released three times a year in January, May and September. PSAP will provide a minimum of 40.0 recertification hours annually. BCPSs who wish to earn recertification credit must read the instructional materials and successfully complete the Web-based posttest by the deadline for each PSAP module. Only completed tests are eligible for credit; no partial or incomplete tests will be processed.

Note: BCPSs may use as many PSAP modules as they need to attain the required CPE credits during their 7-year certification cycle.

The Clinical Reasoning Series, available both live and as a web-based program for home study, will explore cutting-edge, contemporary therapeutic topics and develop scientifically sound clinical reasoning and decision-making skills. Each offering of the annual program will employ active learning exercises designed to advance the skills and abilities of BCPSs to critically evaluate scientific evidence and clinical trials and effectively incorporate significant findings into daily practice, leading to effective and safe patient care. From Theory to Bedside: Clinical Reasoning Series will be presented live each year in conjunction with the ACCP Annual Meeting and audio-recorded for home study.

A minimum of 6.0 hours of recertification credit will be available for participants each year through the Clinical Reasoning Series. To earn recertification credit for the Clinical Reasoning Series, BCPSs will be required to attend the live program or participate in the home study version of the program and successfully complete the Web-based posttest. Only completed tests are eligible for credit; no partial or incomplete tests will be processed.

The Fundamentals of Biostatistics and Clinical Trial Design Workshop, typically presented in the spring, is designed to provide participants with an in-depth and hands-on experience using biostatistical and study design concepts. A minimum of 3.0 hours of recertification credit will be available for participants each year through the Fundamentals of Biostatistics and Clinical Trial Design Workshop. BCPSs will be required to attend the entire program and successfully complete the Web-based posttest. Only completed tests are eligible for credit; no partial or incomplete tests will be processed.

Note: The Fundamentals of Biostatistics and Clinical Trial Design Workshop may be completed for recertification credit, up to two times, in nonconsecutive years, during the 7-year certification cycle.

Visit the Specialty Recertification section of the ACCP Bookstore to view the current resources for each specialty. For more information, please contact ACCP at (913) 492-3311 or send an e-mail to accp@accp.com.