The BCPS pharmacy exam is 600$ to simply sit for the exam. I do think the investment is highly worth it if you have a strong interest in clinical pharmacy. If an employer is paying for it, or you get a raise for doing it, then I think it is a no brainer for those passionate about clinical pharmacy. Unfortunately, study materials can be very expensive…some pharmacists have spent upward of 1,000 dollars for prep material.
So you pay 600$ to sit for the BCPS pharmacy exam and get no materials to study? I wasn’t a big fan of that, but it is what it is as they say. I also wanted to put together a list of resources that are available online for free!
1. You have to check out Quizlet – there are lots of little flashcards to help you prepare for the BCPS pharmacy exam. The downside: Most of the information I looked through looked pretty legit, but caution should be advised as I don’t know who created the content or if it has been proofed much at all? Also note that the information is dated, so updated guidelines etc. might not be reflected.
The BCPS exam is difficult, not impossible. Preparation is the key to passing.
2. The Blonde Pharmacist – I’ve come to know Beth Lofgren PharmD, BCPS through social media, and she is passionate about clinical pharmacy and helping people pass the BCPS exam. I really appreciated her encouragement while studying for my exam. She has created a bunch of BCPS specific posts you need check out!
3. Dr. Ted Williams created this website with a BCPS study guide a few years ago now, which is a little bit of a downside (dated material), but I felt the content was very good and gave you a sense of what to expect on the BCPS exam.
4. I’m a huge fan of podcasts, you can do anything while listening – work out, ride the bus, drive, fly, whatever… In my quest for more information on Statistics for the BCPS exam, I stumbled across these lectures on Statistics. The quality isn’t fantastic, but you really get a sense of some major Biostatistics topics. I initially found them by searching Statistics info on iTunes. I’ve also created a podcast where I am cover a drug or class once per week. You can find numerous episodes and multiple different drugs covered that you will be tested on in the BCPS exam. The downside of these is they are not specifically designed for the BCPS exam, but the info is helpful.
5. I created a small practice quiz about 10 questions that will help you get a sense of what to expect. I also created a BCPS study calendar to help you in your game plan. I based it off of my experience and preparation in preparing to pass. It is a free download for you to keep and use as desired.
Because of my frustration with how expensive study materials are, myself and 4 other BCPS credentialed pharmacists created and edited a 2 full mock exams (about a 90 page PDF – 175 questions, just like the exam) as well as a significantly discounted 20+ hour webinar series to help you pass your BCPS exam.
Statistics plays big role on the exam, and I’ve also created a premium study guide for that portion of the exam.
I’m also starting to use the hashtag #bcpsexam on Twitter! I’m asking all my Twitter friends to do the same!
Use the hashtag #bcpsexam if Tweeting about BCPS!
Awesome!
For someone in retail wanting to transition in clinical pharmacy, would the 3 years count as the required experience or no?
What would your advice be for retail pharmacists?
That’s a good question…according to the website as long as 50% of the time you are doing “pharmacotherapy” activities as outlined by their website http://www.bpsweb.org/pdfs/content_outline_pharmacotherapy.pdf then 3 years should be fine – Has anyone ever been audited on this? That is a question for BPS – if anyone has been asked to prove this or been audited on this, please leave a comment here…I’ve never personally heard of it however. As far as transitioning from retail to a more clinical role, I’d maybe start with leaning on your current employer first – some independents/small chains may want to embrace a larger clinical role. I would like suspect from the larger chains this wouldn’t be as easy, but purely speculation on my part as I’ve never worked for a chain (other than some relief). Obtaining credentials is a good way to demonstrate that you are ready, willing, and able to learn more and go above and beyond. From there, persistence is key in anything. If you want a more clinical job, stay after it…and be fearless in approaching people and asking for what you want. If other pharmacists have some good advice on this transition, please feel free to comment.
I know of retail pharmacist who took BCACP with no problems passing.
Fantastic info! Thanks Mate!
This is a very good tool for pharmacists. I wonder if, at all, educational materials of this high quality can be incorporated, without any claims, in pharmacist continuing education programs.
Any recommended sites for the Ambulatory Care exam?
I’m working on putting together some content/info on that…if there is anyone interested who has taken the exam in sharing a guest post about their experience to help educate other, I’d be all ears. I think there is a little more out there on BCPS because that exam is a little more popular, but there needs to be more info on all these certification exams!
Here’s what I have on BCACP https://www.meded101.com/board-certified-ambulatory-care-pharmacist-bcacp-exam-study-material/
Bps paediatric pharmacy exam contents/ book
Require
I was wondering what you recommend for recertification for dual certification (bcps and bcgp)?
I would say the BCPS tends to be the most all encompassing and is probably the reason it is year after year the most popular. As far as doing a second one, I would focus on what you like/want to do with the majority of time in your career (i.e. geriatrics, amcare, peds, etc.) – hope that helps and thanks for reaching out!