The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) has finalized the eligibility criteria for its new specialty certification examination in Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Practice. That examination will first be administered on October 1, 2011, together with the other BPS specialty certification examinations, at several locations worldwide. [Editor’s Note: See story above about ACCP’s April 2011 Preparatory Course for this examination.] Applicants for the Ambulatory Care examination will be required to fulfill all the criteria listed below to achieve board certification.
Ambulatory Care Specialty Board Certification Eligibility Requirements
The minimum requirements for this specialty certification are as follows:
- Graduation from a pharmacy program accredited by the ACPE (Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education) or a program outside the United States that qualifies the individual to practice in the jurisdiction
- Current, active licensure to practice pharmacy in the United States or another jurisdiction
-
Completion of 4 years of practice experience with at least 50% of time spent in ambulatory care pharmacy activities (as defined by the BPS ambulatory care pharmacy content outline)
OR
Completion of any PGY1 residency* plus 1 additional year of practice with at least 50% of time spent in ambulatory care pharmacy activities (as defined by the BPS ambulatory care pharmacy content outline)
OR
Completion of a specialty (PGY2) residency* in ambulatory care pharmacy
*Effective January 1, 2013, only residencies accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists or other BPS-recognized bodies are creditable for this purpose.
- Achievement of a passing score on the Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Specialty certification examination
The BPS Candidate’s Guide, online applications, and other materials specific to the 2011 BPS examination cycle will be available on the BPS Web site (www.bpsweb.org) in early 2011. Content outlines for all BPS specialties and other general information is currently posted at the BPS site.