2019 Candidate's Guide: Board of Pharmacy Specialties
2019 Candidate's Guide: Board of Pharmacy Specialties
2019 Candidate's Guide: Board of Pharmacy Specialties
ORG
For over 40 years, the Board of Pharmacy Specialties has administered board certification
examinations for pharmacist specialists. The founding of BPS by APhA in 1976 was the result
of a five-year effort, during which the entire profession studied and deliberated specialization
in pharmacy practice. Ambulatory Care Pharmacy, Cardiology Pharmacy, Compounded Sterile
Preparations Pharmacy, Critical Care Pharmacy, Geriatric Pharmacy, Infectious Diseases
Pharmacy, Nuclear Pharmacy, Nutrition Support Pharmacy, Oncology Pharmacy, Pediatric
Pharmacy, Pharmacotherapy, and Psychiatric Pharmacy, exist today as pharmacy practice
specialties as a direct result of BPS’ ongoing collaboration with all segments of the profession.
The Board, with assistance from several professional organizations and their members, has
continued to provide vital leadership and support for the recognition of specialties and
certification of pharmacist specialists. As a result, BPS and its Specialty Councils are now the
principal entities through which these activities are carried out for the pharmacy profession.
Each of the Specialty Councils works diligently with our Examination Development and
Psychometrics team to ensure that the process is psychometrically sound and defensible. BPS
also collaborates with other national organizations and professional societies to promote
specialty recognition and board certification to the profession, other health care
professionals, employers, and the public.
Through the rigorous standards mandated by BPS board certification and recertification, the
Board-certified pharmacist specialist stands out as the most qualified individual to meet
today’s expanding professional expectations. BPS salutes your commitment to quality patient
care.
BPS Specialty Certification Programs in Ambulatory Care, Geriatric Pharmacy, Nuclear Pharmacy, Nutrition
Support Pharmacy, Oncology Pharmacy, Pharmacotherapy and Psychiatric Pharmacy are recognized as
accredited certification programs by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
2019
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES TRAINED/
GENERAL INFORMATION ..................................................... 4
LICENSED OUTSIDE OF THE U.S. AND CANADA ....... 10
Importance of Certification ................................................... 4
Information Sources ............................................................. 10
Recognition of BPS Certification........................................... 4
PREPARING FOR THE EXAMINATION ............................ 11
OVERVIEW .................................................................................. 5
Content Outlines .................................................................. 11
Non-discrimination Policy .................................................... 5
Sample Exam Questions ...................................................... 12
Impartiality Statement ........................................................... 5
Statement of Confidentiality ................................................. 5 ON THE DAY OF THE EXAMINATION............................. 12
Record Retention Policy......................................................... 6 Checking-In on Examination Day ...................................... 12
Examination Rules ............................................................... 12
APPLICATION INFORMATION ............................................ 6
Prohibited Items ................................................................... 12
General Information ............................................................... 6
Inclement Weather and Cancellations ............................... 13
Important Dates ...................................................................... 6
Examination Format and Administration ......................... 13
Name and/or Address Changes ........................................... 6
Examination Schedule ......................................................... 13
Examination Dates.................................................................. 6
Examination Content ........................................................... 14
Examination Administration ................................................ 6
Security .................................................................................. 14
Overview of Steps in Applying for the Examination ........ 6
Statement of Confidentiality for BPS Examinations ........ 14
Processing Applications ........................................................ 7
Examination Sites ................................................................... 7 FOLLOWING THE EXAMINATION ................................... 15
DANTES Program .................................................................. 8 Examination Scoring ............................................................ 15
Please note the following: Overview of Steps in Applying for the Examination
Five basic steps are required to apply for the 2019 BPS
• Candidates can only apply for the testing window Certification Examination (International candidates, please
during the established application dates. refer to the “Helpful Tips Guide” for detailed information on
requirements).
• The Compounded Sterile Preparations Pharmacy 1. Create an online MyBPS profile on the BPS
Specialty will be offered for the first time in Fall 2019. website. A unique candidate number (IND-
XXXXXX) is assigned once the profile is created.
It is the individual’s responsibility to submit a complete and 2. Once your profile has been created, click on the
accurate application by the application deadline. Incomplete “Apply for New Certification” link found on your
MyBPS profile home page. Please review the
BPS does not provide information on hotel or travel BPS staff will not process change requests. A $45 (USD)
arrangements. Candidates are encouraged to use their own nonrefundable fee, payable to Prometric, will apply if
travel agent or one of the online search engines to locate the appointment is rescheduled within 29 calendar days
hotel accommodations near a test site as well as maps and prior to the original appointment date.
driving directions.
NOTE: All dollar amounts expressed in this Candidate’s
DANTES Program Guide are provided in U.S. dollars (USD).
For all information regarding the DANTES Program please
click here. Examination Appointment Must Be
Date Rescheduled/ Canceled By:
Scheduling Monday Saturday of the previous week
In order to help assure the greatest probability that Tuesday Sunday of the current week
candidates receive their preferred site and date, BPS Wednesday Monday of the current week
recommends registering as early as possible.
Thursday Tuesday of the current week
Friday Wednesday of the current week
* Domestic candidates must submit their scheduling request at
least four (4) days prior to their preferred testing date during the Saturday/Sunday Thursday of the current week
scheduled test administration window. Non-U.S. candidates Sunday Friday of the previous week
must submit their scheduling request at least ten (10) business
days prior to their preferred testing date. Withdrawals/Deferrals
Candidates may withdraw/defer from the application
Prometric will provide telephone and e-mail support to process prior to the close of the application deadline.
candidates on matters related to scheduling an (NOTE: BPS does not defer applications from the Fall to the
examination appointment. Voicemail will accept candidate Spring application window.) Candidates must inform BPS of
inquiries outside of normal U.S. business hours. their intent to withdraw/defer in writing, by no later than
the close of the application window, at which point they
Once an examination appointment is scheduled, the will be sent a link to an online form to make an official
candidate will receive a confirmation e-mail from request. Candidates who withdraw from the application
Prometric outlining the appointment details. process will be refunded the fee paid, less an
administrative charge of $200 USD ($250 USD if the exam
The candidate must bring a current, government-issued has been scheduled with Prometric). Refunds will be
photo identification with signature to the test site. processed within 14 days of the close of the application
Acceptable forms of identification include driver’s licenses, window.
passports, and government-issued identification cards.
After the application deadline, BPS will review requests for
The candidate’s first and last name as it appears on the withdrawals with decisions made on a case-by-case basis.
confirmation e-mail must match that which appears on the Acceptable withdrawal requests, with appropriate
government-issued photo identification. Candidates are documentation (e.g., physician’s letter, police report, etc.),
responsible for contacting BPS with any name changes will be considered under the following situations:
that occur after the submission of their application.
Candidates can request a name change through their
Please note BPS certification does not confer the privilege Examinations are not structured domain by domain.
to practice pharmacy in the U.S. or in any other country. Instead, examination questions for each domain are
distributed randomly throughout the total examination.
PREPARING FOR THE While BPS examinations test the stated domains of each
specialty, candidates are advised that the examinations
EXAMINATION sample content represented in each certification content
outline.
Suggested preparation for the examination might include:
• Residency or other formal training
Eligibility Requirements and Content Outlines for each
• The study of Journal articles, textbooks, or other
specialty can be found here:
publications related to the content outline
• Continuing education programs and courses in
• Ambulatory Care Pharmacy
specialized pharmacy practice
• Cardiology Pharmacy
• Study groups and examination preparation
• Compounded Sterile Preparations Pharmacy
courses
• Critical Care Pharmacy
• Sample examination questions are provided on the
• Geriatric Pharmacy
BPS website in order for candidates to familiarize
• Infectious Diseases Pharmacy
themselves with the various item formats which
• Nuclear Pharmacy
are presented on the exam. Sample question
• Nutrition Support Pharmacy
performance should not be interpreted as an
• Oncology Pharmacy
indicator of exam performance.
• Pediatric Pharmacy
• Pharmacotherapy
Potential applicants may contact the organizations noted
• Psychiatric Pharmacy
here, which offer courses and materials for the specialty or
specialties listed. The listing is provided as a convenience
New regulations, drugs, and therapies are incorporated
for candidates; BPS and its Specialty Councils neither
into the examinations. All BPS specialty certification
sponsor nor endorse training or educational opportunities
examinations reflect current, best practices, at the time they
in specialized practice areas or preparatory courses for any
are constructed – practice guidelines used for the Spring
of the BPS examinations. BPS does not have any official
examination are those that are current as of January 1 of
agents outside of the U.S.
the testing year. Practice guidelines for the Fall
examination are those that are current as of July 1 of the
This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of sources.
testing year. Official United States Adopted Name (USAN)
Please note: candidates using any preparatory resources
generic names are used on all BPS examinations for all
drug products, when possible.
11 2019 BPS CANDIDATE’S GUIDE
Sample Exam Questions room. Bring earplugs if you are sensitive to noise. If you
BPS has provided sample multiple choice questions to choose to bring earplugs, they will be subject to inspection
provide candidates with an opportunity to review the by the onsite staff.
FORMAT of questions used on BPS specialty certification
examinations. They are used strictly for illustrative Examination Rules
purposes and not indicative of actual content on the BPS and Prometric follow industry standard examination
examinations. BPS may also utilize alternate question types rules as outlined below.
on some examinations including but not limited to
matching, drag and drop, images and videos. Prohibited Items
Candidates are expressly prohibited from bringing the
Sample Questions can be found here: following items to the examination site:
https://www.bpsweb.org/sample-questions/
• Cameras, cell phones or other mobile devices,
BPS specialty certification examinations are constructed Personnel authorized and trained by Prometric will
according to test specifications derived from role proctor the examination. No other individuals are
delineation studies. BPS conducts these studies with permitted in the room during the examination except for
qualified subject matter experts to establish the test the candidates and persons authorized by BPS and/or the
specifications used to and construct examinations. examination administrator.