2018 Year in Review: A Look at Our Continued Commitment to Pharmacy Standards

As we approach the end of another year, it offers a natural moment for reflection. For the pharmacy profession, 2018 was a year of profound momentum and significant challenge. We witnessed the continued expansion of the pharmacist’s role as a vital clinical provider, the emergence of complex new therapeutics, and an ever-shifting regulatory and technological landscape. Navigating this evolution requires a steadfast commitment to the principles of excellence, safety, and lifelong learning—principles that form the very core of our mission at the Council on Pharmacy Standards (CPS).

Throughout 2018, our team, guided by our distinguished Board of Directors and powered by countless dedicated volunteers, has worked tirelessly to uphold and advance these principles. While much of this foundational work occurs away from the public spotlight, its impact is designed to resonate across the entire profession. In the spirit of transparency and shared purpose, we want to take this opportunity to look back on the key initiatives, milestones, and collaborative efforts that defined our year. This was a year of deep analysis, strategic planning, and foundational groundwork, all aimed at ensuring the standards we set today are ready for the challenges of tomorrow.

Advancing Standards Through Expert Collaboration

The credibility of any professional standard or certification rests entirely on the expertise and consensus of the practitioners it represents. At CPS, we believe this is a non-negotiable truth. A significant portion of our work in 2018 was dedicated to convening and collaborating with a diverse group of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from a wide array of practice settings. These dedicated professionals are the lifeblood of our organization, generously lending their time and real-world experience to ensure our programs are rigorous, relevant, and reflective of current best practices.

This year, we saw this collaboration flourish in several key areas. In the second quarter, we convened a national blue-ribbon panel to conduct a comprehensive review of existing standards for sterile compounding. This multi-day summit brought together leading experts in hospital pharmacy, infusion services, and regulatory affairs to deliberate on best practices for ensuring medication safety and USP compliance. The formal recommendations produced by this panel have been instrumental in shaping the development of a new credentialing program.

Furthermore, 2018 marked the successful completion of a large-scale Job Task Analysis (JTA) focused on the practice of Medication Therapy Management (MTM). This exhaustive, year-long research initiative surveyed thousands of pharmacists across the country to identify and validate the essential knowledge and skills required for effective MTM delivery. The resulting data, which we finalized in the third quarter, provides an empirically validated blueprint that will serve as the foundation for a new, evidence-based certification. These intensive, expert-driven initiatives are fundamental to our process, ensuring every standard we endorse and every certification we offer is built upon a solid foundation of professional consensus and data.

Laying the Groundwork for New Certification Programs

An organization committed to standards must also be committed to growth and adaptation. In response to feedback from the pharmacy community and a thorough analysis of industry trends, our Board of Directors formally approved a major strategic initiative in early 2018: the development of a new suite of foundational certifications. This decision set in motion a year of intensive, methodical work aimed at bringing this vision to life.

The first half of the year was dedicated to a comprehensive needs assessment. Through a series of surveys, employer focus groups, and one-on-one interviews with pharmacy leaders, we identified several core practice areas where a standardized measure of competence was critically needed. This research confirmed that compounding (both sterile and non-sterile), medication safety, and MTM were top priorities for the profession.

With this mandate, we transitioned into the development phase. Leveraging the JTA data and the recommendations from our expert panels, dedicated committees spent the latter half of 2018 meticulously constructing the examination blueprints for what will become our Foundational Practice Portfolio. This is a painstaking process of defining the content domains, weighting the knowledge areas, and setting the precise scope of each planned certification. In the final quarter, we capped off the year by hosting a series of item-writing workshops. We brought together newly trained SMEs from across the country to begin the crucial work of writing and reviewing the first high-quality, psychometrically sound questions for our future examinations. This disciplined, multi-stage process, which spanned the entirety of 2018, ensures that when these programs launch, they will meet the highest standards of quality and fairness.

Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships

Our mission extends beyond the development of credentials. We have a responsibility to be a strong voice for the value of high standards and a collaborative partner in advancing the profession as a whole. Throughout 2018, CPS actively engaged with organizations and stakeholders across the healthcare spectrum.

Our leadership had a presence at several major national pharmacy conferences, presenting on the critical link between standardized certification and improved patient outcomes. We believe it is essential to advocate for the role that credible credentialing plays in providing a reliable benchmark for employers, regulators, and patients alike.

This year, we also formalized a strategic alliance with a national association of regulatory boards to share data and collaborate on initiatives aimed at enhancing medication safety. By aligning our efforts, we can more effectively support the work of state boards of pharmacy in their duty to protect the public. Additionally, CPS actively participated in the regulatory process, submitting formal commentary on proposed rule changes at both the state and federal levels. We believe our unique, data-driven perspective can help inform sensible and effective public policy. These partnerships are vital, as they amplify our impact and help integrate the principles of excellence into the very fabric of the healthcare system.

Looking Ahead to a Landmark 2019

The foundational work completed in 2018 has set the stage for what promises to be a landmark year for the Council and the professionals we serve. Our primary focus for 2019 will be the official launch of the Foundational Practice Portfolio of certifications, the culmination of this year’s intensive development efforts.

To support this and future growth, we will be expanding our recruitment of passionate volunteers and Subject Matter Experts. We will also be deepening our strategic partnerships to ensure our certifications are recognized and valued by employers and health systems nationwide. Finally, as evidenced by this very post, we are making a renewed commitment to direct and transparent communication. A key strategic goal for early 2019 is the continued development of this News & Announcements Hub, which will provide a clear and consistent channel for all future updates.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our entire community—our invaluable SMEs, our dedicated partners, and the thousands of pharmacy professionals who participated in our research this year. Your collective commitment to excellence is what makes our work possible. We look forward to continuing this vital journey with you in 2019 and beyond.

The Board of Directors, Council on Pharmacy Standards (CPS)