Certified Surgical Pharmacy Specialist (CSPS)

CSPS (SPS-001) Exam Objectives

This exam certifies that the candidate has the advanced clinical knowledge to provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care to patients throughout the entire perioperative period.

Domain 1: Preoperative Patient Assessment and Medication Management (30%)

• Preoperative Assessment: Conduct a medication history and assess patient-specific factors that may impact surgery.
• Management of Chronic Medications: Develop a plan for managing a patient's chronic medications (e.g., antidiabetics, antihypertensives) before surgery.
• Anticoagulation Management: Manage the interruption and bridging of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy.

Domain 2: Intraoperative Pharmacotherapy (25%)

• Anesthetic Agents: Describe the pharmacology of common induction agents, inhaled anesthetics, and local anesthetics.
• Neuromuscular Blockade: Manage the use of neuromuscular blocking agents and their reversal agents.
• Hemodynamic Support: Manage the use of vasopressors and inotropes for intraoperative hemodynamic instability.

Domain 3: Postoperative Care and Complication Management (35%)

• Postoperative Pain Management: Design multimodal, opioid-sparing analgesic regimens for various types of surgery.
• Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Prophylaxis: Select and manage appropriate VTE prophylaxis based on patient and procedural risk factors.
• Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV): Manage the prevention and treatment of PONV.
• Management of Other Complications: Manage common postoperative issues such as delirium and fluid/electrolyte abnormalities.

Domain 4: Surgical Prophylaxis and Specialized Surgeries (10%)

• Surgical Antimicrobial Prophylaxis: Select, dose, and time appropriate antimicrobial prophylaxis according to national guidelines.
• Specialty Populations: Describe key pharmacotherapy considerations for specialized surgeries (e.g., cardiac, transplant, bariatric).

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 CSPS Professionals

The CSPS certification is for pharmacists who are integral members of the surgical care team, primarily within health systems and academic medical centers. This credential signifies a high level of clinical expertise in a fast-paced, high-acuity environment.

Target Candidates

• Health-system pharmacists providing services to surgical floors or ICUs.
• Pharmacists working in OR satellite pharmacies.
• Critical care or emergency medicine pharmacists.
• Pharmacists involved in developing Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols.

Primary Job Roles:

• Surgical / Perioperative Clinical Pharmacist
• Operating Room (OR) Pharmacist
• Surgical Critical Care Pharmacist
• Emergency Medicine Pharmacist

Career Advancement:

A CSPS is positioned for clinical leadership roles. They can advance to become a clinical coordinator for surgical pharmacy services, a manager of a satellite OR pharmacy, or a key leader in developing and implementing Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols.

Study Resources

Prepare for your CSPS exam with resources designed for the unique pharmacotherapy challenges of the perioperative setting.