As summarized in the March issue of the ACCP Report (see http://www.accp.com/report/?iss=0311&art=2), the College is working closely with the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) and other professional organizations to establish specialist recognition in focused clinical practice areas not yet recognized by BPS as pharmacy specialties. After reviewing the results of last month’s ACCP member opinion survey regarding new specialties (visit www.accp.com/docs/misc/SurveySpecCertif.pdf to view the survey’s results), the College submitted to BPS preliminary requests for consideration of new specialties in critical care pharmacy practice and pediatric pharmacy practice. Shortly before publication of this issue of the ACCP Report, BPS communicated to ACCP that it had approved these requests and that it will be moving forward to conduct a role delineation study (RDS) for each specialty. The BPS process for consideration of new specialties is summarized nearby.
At its meeting last week, the ACCP Board of Regents determined ACCP’s next steps toward expanded specialty recognition. First, while awaiting results of the BPS evaluation of the RDS documents for pediatrics and critical care, the College will seek the support of other professional organizations for these potential specialties. Second, working with clinical pharmacists practicing in cardiology and infectious diseases, ACCP will submit to BPS preliminary requests for consideration of those focused practice areas as new specialties. Toward that end, during the next few weeks, the College will seek input from the leadership of the Infectious Diseases PRN, the Cardiology PRN, and other interested stakeholders, including other professional organizations that may wish to serve as co-supporters in this effort. Third, the College will reach out to other PRNs and members practicing in focused areas to identify additional potential specialties for which preliminary requests should be submitted to BPS in the near future.
Through its 2010 ACCP Strategic Plan (see http://www.accp.com/docs/about/ACCP_Strategic_Plan.pdf), the College has established an objective that, by 2015, at least 12 clinical pharmacy specialties will be recognized or in the process of being recognized. At present, there are six recognized BPS specialties (ambulatory care pharmacy, nuclear pharmacy, nutrition support pharmacy, oncology pharmacy, pharmacotherapy, and psychiatric pharmacy). If successful, current and future efforts to establish cardiology, critical care, infectious diseases, pain and palliative care (see http://www.accp.com/report/?iss=0311&art=2), and pediatrics would bring that total to 11 recognized specialties. Hence, ACCP’s objective of having 12 specialties either approved or under consideration by BPS in 2015 is clearly within reach. To monitor the progress of the College’s efforts to establish new specialties, including survey results, preliminary requests submitted to BPS, and other pertinent information, please visit http://www.accp.com/careers/specRecog.aspx.
BPS Process for Considering a New Specialty
- An organization (with or without cosponsoring organizations) submits to BPS a brief proposal for consideration of a new pharmacy specialty following the guidelines issued by BPS, “Preliminary Request for the Board of Pharmacy Specialties to Consider a New Specialty.” These guidelines call for the preliminary proposal to include the name of the practice area of the proposed specialty; a description of the specialty practice area, the pharmacists engaged in it, and its overall impact on society; estimates of the number of pharmacists who might seek such certification; and documentation of organizational funding support to develop a full petition to BPS and to support implementation of the specialty before the receipt of candidate fees.
- BPS evaluates the preliminary request described in No. 1 above. If the request is judged to support the potential viability of the proposed specialty, BPS will undertake a formal role delineation study (RDS) to determine and analyze the tasks performed by practitioners in the specialty.
- BPS reviews the results of the RDS; if the Board finds that the RDS validates the area as a potential pharmacy specialty, a call will be issued for a formal petition requesting recognition of the specialty. Such petitions must include extensive documentation and justification of the potential specialty. This process typically requires several months to complete background research and petition preparation before submission to BPS.
- Once a petition supporting a new specialty is developed and submitted, BPS evaluates the petition, seeks profession-wide input on the petition and specialty, and then acts on the petition to either approve or deny the new specialty. During this process, the petition’s sponsoring organization(s) may be asked to amend or otherwise modify the petition.