Announcing the CPS API: Secure, Real-Time Credentials for a Modern Pharmacy Workforce

Today we’re excited to introduce the CPS API—our standards-based developer platform for issuing, verifying, and integrating CPS credentials anywhere you work. Whether you’re a health system validating applicants, a university syncing graduate outcomes, or a learning platform displaying digital badges, the CPS API gives you reliable, real-time access to the data that matters—with security, auditability, and employer trust built in.

Why we built it

Hiring managers, preceptors, and program directors shouldn’t have to chase PDFs, email screenshots, or wait days for manual lookups. Candidates shouldn’t have to re-enter the same information across multiple systems. The CPS API closes these gaps by making CPS credential data interoperable and instantly verifiable from trusted endpoints. It’s the same information you see in the CPS Dashboard—delivered programmatically, with guardrails that protect candidate privacy and institutional risk.

What you can do with the CPS API

1) Instant credential verification
Confirm a candidate’s CPS certification, issue date, expiration, status, and revocation history in a single call. This enables automated pre-hire checks, rotation clearances, and internal mobility workflows without manual review.

2) Verifiable digital badges
Issue and display Open Badges–compatible artifacts (JSON-LD) that travel with your learners and staff. The API supports badge retrieval and live status checks so employers always see the latest truth—not stale images.

3) Eligibility & scheduling
If you manage candidate pipelines, you can create or update exam eligibility, fetch available windows, and integrate scheduling confirmations into your own UX. No more bouncing users between portals.

4) Scores & credential events via webhooks
Receive signed webhooks when a score is posted, a credential is issued, renewed, suspended, or revoked. Use these events to trigger HRIS updates, LMS unlocks, email notifications, or badge refreshes—no polling required.

5) Records & updates with audit trails
Read and update candidate records through partner endpoints designed for enterprise workflows. Every write is validated and logged for compliance, with predictable rate limits and clear error handling.

Built for security from day one

Security and trust are non-negotiable in credentialing. The CPS API uses scoped keys, HTTPS everywhere, and signed webhooks (HMAC) so you can verify the origin and integrity of every payload. Authentication and authorization are straightforward, and our logs preserve an auditable trail of what happened, when, and by whom. We also publish practical rate limits and error semantics so your team can build predictable, resilient integrations.

Developer-friendly by design

We’ve aimed to make the first five minutes delightful:

• Quickstart samples show how to call public verification endpoints with a single curl request, then progress to partner endpoints for write operations.

• Clear public endpoints let anyone verify the authenticity of a badge or credential, while partner endpoints unlock deeper workflows for approved organizations.

• Webhooks include event types for score posted, credential issued/renewed/revoked, and account updates—signed so you can trust them in production.

• Sandbox mode mirrors production behavior using test keys and sample payloads, so you can prototype integrations safely before going live.

• Status & errors are documented with common scenarios and remediation steps, reducing guesswork when you’re under deadline.

Common use cases

• Health systems & pharmacies: Automatically verify CPS credentials during hiring and annual compliance. Trigger access provisioning and in-service training when a certification is issued or renewed.

• Universities & residency programs: Sync eligibility for cohorts, display verified digital badges on graduate profiles, and stream score events back to advising dashboards.

• Professional development platforms: Unlock advanced courses when a prerequisite credential is detected; notify learners when renewal windows open.

• State and employer partners: Embed credential lookups in self-service portals so applicants can be screened faster with fewer manual interventions.

What makes CPS different

The CPS API pairs technical rigor with domain relevance. Endpoints reflect real credential lifecycles—eligibility, exam, score, issuance, renewal, and revocation—so you don’t have to invent your own data model. Payloads include the fields employers actually use, while remaining concise and machine-friendly. Above all, the platform is operated by the Council on Pharmacy Standards, aligning content, exams, and verification under one roof for consistency and confidence.

Getting started

1. Request API access. Submit a brief form describing your use case (verification only, partner write access, or both). We’ll provision sandbox keys first.

2. Build in the sandbox. Use our examples to call verification endpoints, register a webhook URL, and test event handling with sample scores and credentials.

3. Apply for production. Once your integration passes basic checks (security, data handling, rate conformity), we’ll issue production credentials and add your webhook signing secret.

4. Launch with confidence. Monitor events, log signatures, and lean on our documentation for error codes, retries, and best practices.

Policy & compliance

CPS respects candidate privacy and institutional responsibilities. Access to partner endpoints is gated by agreement, and data is limited to the minimum necessary for your declared purpose. We provide revocation signals, renewal dates, and authoritative status so you can make timely, auditable decisions without storing excess personal data.

Build on CPS

The CPS API is available today for verification use, with partner endpoints enabled for approved organizations. If your team wants faster hiring, cleaner student records, or frictionless professional development, we’d love to collaborate.

• Developers: Explore the Quickstart, review sample payloads, and try the sandbox.

• Program leaders: Talk with us about mapping your workflows to CPS events and credentials.

• Vendors & platforms: Join our partner track to deliver integrated experiences for the pharmacy community.

Ready to get started? Visit the CPS API in the Developer section of our site and click Request API Access. Let’s make pharmacy credentialing simpler, safer, and faster—together.