The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) was established in 1976 as an autonomous division of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).
The Board of Pharmacy Specialties, the premier post-licensure certification agency, will ensure that Board Certified Pharmacists are recognized within healthcare delivery systems while serving the needs of the public and the pharmacy profession. The mission of the Board of Pharmacy Specialties is to improve patient care and increase awareness of the need for BPS Board Certified Pharmacists as integral members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams. through recognition and promotion of specialized training, knowledge, and skills in pharmacy and specialty board certification and recertification of pharmacists throughout the world. Board Certification through BPS has become recognized as the gold standard for determining which pharmacists are qualified to contribute at advanced practice levels. Through the rigorous standards mandated by BPS board certification and recertification, the BPS board certified pharmacist stands out as the most qualified to accept today’s expanding professional expectations.
02/20/2026
Your path is your strength! Utilizing years of practice experience? Post-graduate training? Your road could lead to Board Certification.
Each year, the number of active Certifications grows as pharmacists pursue one of 16 certification programs. The drastic growth over the last 15 years highlights the value board certification has for distinguishing specialized knowledge.
In the February Leadership Blog, Gauri Godbole, member of the specialty council, shares the benefits of holding board certification as a pharmacy practitioner bridging multiple cultures.
Board-certified pharmacists who began a new certification cycle in 2024, 2025, or 2026 are within the CPD Recertification Framework, which requires an annual reflection and plan (ARP). Learn about the ARP, how to complete it, and more: https://bpsweb.org/recertification-overview/
02/13/2026
Trey Melazzo, 2021-2022 Executive Resident, shares how his experience launched him into his current role at the University of Alabama’s Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Now Linked in the Literature Library: In this October 2017 article, a pharmacy leadership team explore the benefits of a certification requirement for pharmacists in direct patient care roles.
Attending in Long Beach, CA? Visit at booth #115 and get a chance to ask staff your questions about certification, recertification, continuing professional development, and more.
02/10/2026
Each Examination is peer-developed and peer-reviewed by pharmacists in that specialty area alongside psychometric staff, ensuring psychometrically-sound and legally defensible examinations.
Are you planning to recertify via examination this year? To ensure a score is issued by December 31, you must sit for the recertification examination by October 15.
In 1988, recognized pharmacotherapy (BCPS) as a certification program! Now, it represents the largest number of active certifications in the U.S. and internationally.
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The Board of Pharmacy Specialties® was established in 1976 as an autonomous division of the American Pharmacists Association. Today, BPS is the premier post-licensure certification agency worldwide that operates across the pharmacy profession to provide specialty certification of pharmacists. Most importantly, BPS is above partisan interests and establishes independent, objective standards that are applied in a psychometrically sound, legally defensible process.
The distinction between certification and certificate training is remarkable. Some certificates may indicate participation in a targeted educational program but do not assess a practitioner's competence.
BPS certification is a voluntary process by which a pharmacist's education, experience, knowledge and skills in a particular practice area are confirmed as well beyond what is required for licensure.
The principal responsibilities of BPS include:
To grant recognition of appropriate pharmacy practice specialties based on criteria established by BPS.
To establish standards for certification and recertification of pharmacists in recognized pharmacy practice specialties.
To grant qualified pharmacists certification and recertification in recognized pharmacy practice specialties.
To serve as a coordinating agency and information clearinghouse for organizations and pharmacists in recognized pharmacy practice specialties.
To enhance public/consumer protection by developing effective certification programs for specialty practices in pharmacy.