The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) announced that it has received approval from the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) to provide a professional development program for the recertification of Board-Certified Sterile Compounding Pharmacists (BCSCP). APhA will provide recertification credit from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022, and will offer at least 45 credit hours per year.

“As sterile compounding activities face increasing levels of scrutiny from regulatory agencies, including FDA and State Boards of Pharmacy, it is apparent that there is great need for exceptionally well-trained pharmacists to help manage sterile compounding activities in pharmacies and health care facilities,” said Dan Zlott, APhA vice president of professional education resources. “APhA believes that pharmacists must play a central role in managing sterile compounding operations in order to ensure that patients always have access to safe medications when they need them. As a result, APhA is eager to participate in the expansion of pharmacist credentialing in this important space.”

APhA is collaborating with the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), the organization responsible for setting standards for sterile compounding, to plan and develop a comprehensive, innovative program to meet the needs of practitioners seeking to maintain their BCSCP credential.

“USP is an organization of organizations,” said Jaap Venema, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer (CSO) for USP, “and we embrace the support and collaboration with APhA to help enhance the practitioner understanding and knowledge of USP standards for compounding and safe handling of hazardous drugs to help ensure patient and health care worker safety.”

APhA and USP recently launched preparatory materials for a new BPS certification exam in Compounded Sterile Preparations Pharmacy. This collaboration is designed to provide comprehensive training for sterile compounding professionals who are seeking a BCSCP designation from BPS.

APhA recertification products are designed to be interactive and multimedia based. There will also be a mixture of live and home study material. In addition to recertification materials, APhA will also offer exam prep and other review products.  The courses and associated exams will reflect official USP standards.