Steps to bps certification as hospital staff pharmacist

[firepower]

I am interested in becoming BCPS certified. After pharmacy school i worked for 2 years as a retail pharmacist then went to hospital. I have been working in a pediatric hospital for the last 8 years but only in staff/dispensary position. I would appreciate any insights/advice on steps to take to become certified.

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[firepower]

I followed the BCPS thread already but I wanted this thread to focus only on the pharmacist who already has >3years as hospital pharmacist but only in a dispensary role. This is where I am now.

Want type of activities/practice should i engage in to meet the requirement of "50% of time spent in pharmacotherapy activities" that bps is looking for. Do I need to keep a daily log of these activities and turn it over to bps? (I already have the pharmacotherapy content outline, so I know what I need to review to sit for the exam).
Also, should I consider residency? I thought about it but what are my chances of getting a residency placement 10 years after pharmacy school graduation.
Your thoughts/advice/suggestions will be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[awval999]

I followed the BCPS thread already but I wanted this thread to focus only on the pharmacist who already has >3years as hospital pharmacist but only in a dispensary role. This is where I am now.

Want type of activities/practice should i engage in to meet the requirement of "50% of time spent in pharmacotherapy activities" that bps is looking for. Do I need to keep a daily log of these activities and turn it over to bps? (I already have the pharmacotherapy content outline, so I know what I need to review to sit for the exam).
Also, should I consider residency? I thought about it but what are my chances of getting a residency placement 10 years after pharmacy school graduation.
Your thoughts/advice/suggestions will be appreciated. Thank you.

I assume you verify orders. You don't need to log it. I believe they just take your word at it as long as you have a hospital position.

 

[kdr2002]

I was in a similar situation last year. I wanted to take the exam but I knew there were a lot of areas I knew I'd be pretty weak in. Everyone's experience is different and the more you have the better. I've been out of school 4 years and didn't do a residency. I work in outpatient chemo/infusion center and at a surgery center. My role is primarily dispensing but the I work with physicians rely on me for a lot of "clinical" support plus I'm on some committees that help expose some of the regulatory part of the test. But, the BCPS exam is so broad that very few really have experience in everything it covers. If you've worked 3 years, I think they'll let you take the test. I don't think it really matter what you do.

So, if you think you want to take the test, do it. Order the ACCP board review course and start studying today. That will give you the best chance to pass. After you get through the course once, you'll already start seeing things at work that you've been studying. Use real-life cases to think through the material. Focus even harder on the topics you're least familiar with. Study the stats over and over and over. Look at it every week. You can't pass the test without mastering the stats part. There are tons of questions about that part alone so use that to you're advantage.

Good luck, if you want it bad enough, you can do it.