ACCP has released two key guideline papers that will serve as important resources for clinical practitioners and health system administrators assuming responsibility for assessing and advancing the quality of services rendered and outcomes achieved by clinical pharmacists: “ACCP Clinical Pharmacist Competencies” and “ACCP Template for Evaluating a Clinical Pharmacist.”^1,2

Six core competency domains, designed to reflect the clinical pharmacy expertise required to provide comprehensive medication management (CMM) in patient-centered, team-based settings, are delineated:

• Direct Patient Care
• Pharmacotherapy Knowledge
• Systems-Based Care and Population Health
• Communication
• Professionalism
• Continuing Professional Development

Each domain is defined by competency elements (Figure). The “ACCP Template for Evaluating a Clinical Pharmacist” further defines the assessable tasks expected of contemporary clinical pharmacists for each competency domain. Examples are provided of performance measures to assess each task.

The competencies are not designed to encompass all types and levels of pharmacist-delivered patient care services. For example, pharmacist provision of advanced or specialized services would require additional competencies commensurate with the complexity of the patients and services involved. Clinical pharmacists are expected to maintain competence in conformity with the services provided.

The six core competency domains described in “ACCP Clinical Pharmacist Competencies” should be part of the performance evaluation of each pharmacist providing CMM in patient-centered, team-based settings. Those working in pharmacy institutions or departments are encouraged to adapt and tailor the performance measures delineated in the template to best fit the needs of their organization in evaluating and guiding the professional development of clinical pharmacists.

Figure. Competencies for clinical pharmacists.

BPS = Board of Pharmacy Specialties.

Adapted from: Table 1 in Saseen JJ, Ripley TL, Bondi D, et al. ACCP clinical pharmacist competencies. Pharmacotherapy 2017. doi:10.1002/phar.1923. Available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/phar.1923/epdf. Accessed May 9, 2017.

1. Saseen JJ, Ripley TL, Bondi D, et al. ACCP clinical pharmacist competencies. Pharmacotherapy 2017. doi:10.1002/phar.1923. Available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/phar.1923/epdf. Accessed May 9, 2017.
2. Lee M, Badowski ME, Acquisto NM, et al. ACCP template for evaluating a clinical pharmacist. Pharmacotherapy 2017. doi:10.1002/phar.1927. Available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/phar.1927/full. Accessed May 2, 2017.
3. Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC). The Patient-Centered Medical Home: Integrating Comprehensive Medication Management to Optimize Patient Outcomes: Resource Guide, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: PCPCC, 2012. Available at www.pcpcc.org/sites/default/files/media/medmanagement.pdf. Accessed May 2, 2017.