Certified Pain Management Pharmacist (CPMP)

CPMP (PMP-001) Exam Objectives

This exam certifies that the candidate has the advanced pharmacotherapy knowledge to design and monitor complex pain management regimens, with a strong focus on evidence-based practice and opioid stewardship.

Domain 1: Pathophysiology and Assessment of Pain (25%)

• Types of Pain: Differentiate between the pathophysiology of nociceptive (somatic and visceral), neuropathic, and nociplastic pain.
• Pain Assessment: Utilize validated pain scales and assessment tools to conduct a comprehensive pain evaluation.
• Risk Assessment: Use risk assessment tools (e.g., ORT, SOAPP-R) to evaluate a patient's risk for opioid misuse or abuse.

Domain 2: Pharmacologic Management (45%)

• Non-Opioid Analgesics: Manage therapy with NSAIDs, acetaminophen, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and other adjuvant analgesics.
• Opioid Analgesics: Manage therapy with various opioid agonists, partial agonists, and antagonists. Perform accurate equianalgesic dose conversions.
• Multimodal Analgesia: Design evidence-based, multimodal analgesic regimens that combine agents with different mechanisms of action.
• Management of Common Pain Syndromes: Apply guidelines to the treatment of conditions like low back pain, fibromyalgia, and neuropathic pain.

Domain 3: Opioid Stewardship and Risk Mitigation (20%)

• Opioid Stewardship: Apply principles of opioid stewardship to promote safe prescribing, including initiation, titration, and discontinuation.
• Risk Mitigation: Implement strategies to mitigate risk, including the use of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), urine drug testing, and naloxone co-prescribing.
• Opioid Tapering: Design and manage patient-specific opioid tapering plans.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance with federal and state laws governing controlled substance prescribing.

Domain 4: Co-morbid Conditions and Non-Pharmacologic Therapies (10%)

• Co-morbidities: Manage pain in patients with co-morbid substance use disorder or other psychiatric conditions.
• Non-Pharmacologic Therapies: Describe the role of physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and interventional procedures in a comprehensive pain plan.

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 CPMP Professionals

The CPMP certification is for pharmacists who are clinical leaders in pain management and opioid stewardship. This credential is highly valuable in ambulatory care clinics, health systems, palliative care, and managed care organizations.

Target Candidates

• Pharmacists working in interdisciplinary pain clinics.
• Ambulatory care pharmacists managing chronic diseases, including chronic pain.
• Hospital pharmacists involved in acute pain services or opioid stewardship.
• Palliative care and hospice pharmacists.

Primary Job Roles:

• Pain Management Clinical Pharmacist
• Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (Pain Clinic)
• Opioid Stewardship Pharmacist
• Palliative Care Pharmacist
• Managed Care Pharmacist (Pain Management)

Career Advancement:

A CPMP is positioned to lead clinical programs and policy development in pain management. They can advance to become a Director of a Pain Management or Opioid Stewardship Program, a clinical coordinator for a palliative care service, or a consultant for health systems on implementing safe and effective pain management strategies.

Study Resources

Prepare for your CPMP exam with resources focused on evidence-based, multimodal pain management.