SPCB Approves Content for Certified Specialty Pharmacist Certification Exam

The Specialty Pharmacy Certification Board (SPCB) recently announced that it has approved the exam content outline for the Certified Specialty Pharmacist (CSP) certification examination. SPCB will offer the CSP exam to eligible candidates in October 2013.

SPCB used a comprehensive process, consistent with nationally established standards and employed by certification programs in all industries, to define current practice in terms of the critical tasks performed and skills needed by specialty pharmacists to perform these essential tasks. Hundreds of specialty pharmacists representing specialty pharmacies throughout the United States participated in the survey to define the role and develop the exam blueprint.

“SPCB is committed to using the best practices in the professional certification industry to develop a quality exam that represents the highest practice standards for specialty pharmacists,” Donald Filibeck, PharmD, MBA, said. “Patient safety must be our primary focus, and this program establishes the role of the specialty pharmacist and the standards by which this role must be performed to help ensure their safety.”

The exam content outline includes 4 domains, which are weighted differently as validated by the national role delineation study completed earlier this year:

• Domain I: Intake (25%)
• Domain II: Clinical Management (40%)
• Domain III: Fulfillment (25%)
• Domain IV: Outcomes (10%)

“SPCB has completed the process to define and validate the specialty pharmacist’s role,” Gary M. Cohen, BSPharm, RPh, SPCB interim executive director, said. “These standards of practice will help advance our industry and assure the protection of the public.”

The complete exam content outline, or blueprint, will be available on the SPCB website at www.spcboard.org. The exam application will also be available in Summer 2013 on the SPCB Web site.

The SPCB, launched in 2012, is an independent, not-for-profit entity whose sole mission is the certification of professionals who meet specific eligibility requirements and pass a rigorous assessment instrument. The SPCB is independent from any trade or professional association. The SPCB is dedicated to promoting the specialty pharmacist's unique responsibility, maintaining the highest quality standards, and advocating for professional development to ensure that specialty patients receive appropriate care now and in the future. The goal of the CSP program is to assure the general public receives care from qualified, educated, and knowledgeable specialty pharmacists.

SOURCE: SPCB