Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Ryan Abel bps@aphanet.org 202-429-7591
September 28, 2009

Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties Releases 2008 Annual Report

Washington, DC -- The Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS) has released its Annual Report for 2008.  “This report continues the new look we pioneered two years ago  and features expanded content that we hope will interest the pharmacy community in BPS’ growing certification programs,” said Terry L. Schwinghammer, PharmD, BCPS, BPS Chairman.  In addition to the basic content from past years, this year’s report has several exciting features including:

• A complete list of all newly certified and re-certified specialists by BPS in 2008
• Mini-biographical profiles of several successful BPS-certified specialists
• The third annual BPS Employer Profile which recognizes the Cardinal Health Nuclear Pharmacy Services
• A dramatic new full-color design scheme with a short-fold cover and varied text and images.  The new look report mirrors the existing BPS web site and other printed materials.

BPS developed its 2008 report with Dever Designs, a strategic design studio based in Laurel, Maryland.  Dever Designs has extensive experience working with health care professional organizations and is recognized for creating impressive publications and marketing materials which clearly communicate their clients’ desired messages and produce effective results.

“BPS hopes that readers will find this new report helpful in communicating our significant growth and contributions to pharmacy and healthcare nationally and internationally,” said Richard J. Bertin, PhD, Executive Director of BPS.  “We would like readers to give us feedback to make next year’s report even better.”

Copies of the 2008 BPS Annual Report have been widely distributed through the pharmacy community.  It may also be viewed and downloaded from the BPS Web site.

The Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS) is an autonomous Division of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), founded in January 1976 to recognize specialties and certify pharmacists in specialized areas of pharmacy practice. Six specialties are currently recognized by BPS:  1) nuclear pharmacy, since 1978; 2) nutrition support pharmacy, since 1988; 3) pharmacotherapy, since 1988; 4) psychiatric pharmacy, since 1992; and 5) oncology pharmacy, since 1996.  The latest BPS specialty, focused on ambulatory care pharmacy, was approved in June 2009, and is scheduled for its first examination in 2011.  Nearly 8,000 pharmacist specialists are currently certified by BPS.