Certified Home Infusion Pharmacist (CHIP)

CHIP (HIP-001) Exam Objectives

This exam certifies that the candidate possesses the clinical, technical, and operational knowledge required to safely and effectively manage home infusion therapy services, ensuring optimal patient outcomes and regulatory compliance.

Domain 1: Patient Care and Clinical Management (40%)

• Patient Assessment and Care Planning: Evaluate patient appropriateness for home infusion, develop individualized care plans, and set therapeutic goals.
• Therapy-Specific Management: Manage common home infusion therapies, including anti-infectives, parenteral nutrition (TPN), chemotherapy, pain management, biologics, and inotropes.
• Patient Monitoring and Intervention: Review laboratory data and patient-reported information to assess therapeutic response, manage complications, and make evidence-based interventions.
• Patient and Caregiver Education: Train patients and caregivers on all aspects of their therapy, including medication administration, infusion pump operation, catheter care, and recognizing signs of complications.

Domain 2: Sterile Compounding and Dispensing (30%)

• USP <797> Compliance: Apply sterile compounding standards to ensure the preparation of safe and stable compounded sterile products (CSPs).
• Formulation and Stability: Determine appropriate formulations, assess drug compatibility and stability, and assign appropriate beyond-use dating (BUD) for CSPs.
• Device and Equipment Management: Manage the selection, programming, and troubleshooting of various infusion pumps, vascular access devices (VADs), and ancillary supplies.
• Dispensing and Logistics: Oversee the packaging, labeling, and delivery logistics to ensure medications and supplies arrive at the patient's home safely and on time.

Domain 3: Operations, Reimbursement, and Quality (20%)

• Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance: Ensure practice adherence to standards from accrediting bodies (e.g., The Joint Commission, ACHC) and state boards of pharmacy.
• Reimbursement Navigation: Manage the billing process for home infusion services, including understanding per diem rates, professional service billing, and medical benefit coding (e.g., J-codes).
• Quality Improvement: Develop and participate in quality assurance activities, including medication safety event reporting, infection control surveillance, and process improvement initiatives.

Domain 4: Interprofessional Collaboration and Communication (10%)

• Care Coordination: Function as the central coordinator of care between home health nurses, prescribing physicians, dietitians, and other members of the healthcare team.
• Effective Communication: Communicate complex clinical information and care plans clearly and concisely to patients, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to sit for a CPS certification exam, candidates must meet the criteria outlined in one of the two pathways below.

Pathway 1: For U.S. Licensed Pharmacists

This pathway is for pharmacists licensed to practice within the United States, regardless of country of graduation.

• Hold an active and unrestricted pharmacist license in any state or territory of the United States.
• Meet educational requirements by being a graduate of an ACPE-accredited school of pharmacy or holding a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee® (FPGEC) Certificate.
• Fulfill the specialty experience requirement as outlined below.

Pathway 2: For International Pharmacists (Non-U.S. Licensed)

This pathway is for pharmacists who practice outside of the United States.

• Hold an active and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in their country of practice. A certified English translation of the license must be provided if the original is not in English.
• Hold a professional degree in pharmacy equivalent to a U.S. pharmacy degree, such as a Bachelor’s degree (BPharm), Master’s degree in Pharmacy Practice (MPharm), or Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD).
• Fulfill the specialty experience requirement as outlined below.

Specialty Experience Requirement (for all pathways)

To ensure candidates have foundational knowledge in the specialty, one of the following criteria must be met:

• Standard Pathway:
  Completion of at least one year of professional experience in a practice setting directly related to the certification area.
• Certificate Pathway:
  The one-year specialty experience requirement is waived for candidates who hold an active certificate of completion from a nationally recognized provider in a related subject matter. This includes, but is not limited to, the completion of a relevant PGY residency, fellowship, certificate/training program, or a relevant graduate degree (e.g., a Master's degree in the specialty field). Recognized providers of certificate programs include, but are not limited to:
  • American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
  • American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
  • American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)
  • American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP)

Career Path for CHIP Professionals

The CHIP certification is designed for pharmacists who are passionate about providing direct patient care in a dynamic and growing healthcare sector. This credential validates your ability to manage high-acuity patients in the home setting, opening doors to advanced clinical and leadership roles.

Target Candidates

• Pharmacists currently working in a home infusion pharmacy.
• Hospital pharmacists with extensive sterile compounding and clinical monitoring experience.
• Specialty pharmacists who manage infused or injected biologics.
• Community pharmacists interested in expanding into home infusion services.

Primary Job Roles:

• Home Infusion Pharmacist
• Clinical Infusion Pharmacist
• Sterile Compounding Manager
• Clinical Liaison / Infusion Sales Support
• Director of Home Infusion Services
• Patient Care Coordinator (Pharmacy)

Career Advancement:

Experienced CHIP professionals are prime candidates for leadership roles, such as Director of Pharmacy or Vice President of Clinical Services within a home infusion company. Their expertise is also valuable in roles related to quality improvement, accreditation consulting, and business development in the home and specialty infusion industry.

Study Resources

Prepare for your CHIP exam with resources tailored to the unique challenges of home infusion.