The Standard of Excellence: The 2023 CPS Impact Report is Now Available

A Message from the CEO: A Year of Community, Credibility, and Celebration

As we reflect on 2023, one word comes to the forefront: community. This was the year that the Council on Pharmacy Standards (CPS) truly felt the power and momentum of the incredible network of professionals we serve. It was a year defined not just by our own initiatives, but by your engagement, your expertise, and your collective commitment to raising the bar for our profession.

2023 was a year of building on the strong foundation we have established together. We celebrated a historic milestone in the size of our community, a testament to the growing demand for validated excellence. We pushed into a new and critical frontier of practice with the launch of our most specialized portfolio to date, a direct response to the needs you identified. And we delivered new, modern tools to help you showcase your hard-earned credentials in a dynamic and interconnected world.

This Impact Report is a celebration of these shared achievements. It is a transparent look at the progress we have made and a reaffirmation of our commitment to serving you, the dedicated pharmacy professionals who are the lifeblood of our mission. On behalf of our entire Board of Directors and staff, thank you for your unwavering trust, your active participation, and your inspiring dedication.

2023 By the Numbers: A Year of Measurable Impact

The story of 2023 is one of significant and meaningful growth, demonstrating the expanding influence and value of CPS certification across the nation.

• Total Certificant Community: Our community of certified professionals grew to over 6,000 active certificants nationwide. We were thrilled to surpass the major milestone of 5,000 certificants in June, a powerful indicator of the profession’s commitment to excellence.

• New Certificants in 2023: We proudly welcomed 7,850 new certificants who earned their credentials, showcasing a sustained demand for validation across all our specialty areas.

• A Landmark Portfolio Launch: We successfully launched the Comprehensive Compliance & Regulatory Affairs Portfolio, our most specialized suite to date, featuring 6 new, high-stakes certifications.

• Digital Badge Adoption: The rollout of our new digital badging program was met with overwhelming enthusiasm. Over 90% of all active certificants claimed their verifiable digital credentials within the first 60 days of the program’s launch.

• Research & Engagement: Our Job Task Analysis for Advanced Clinical Practice engaged over 4,200 specialists, ensuring our next generation of certifications will be built upon a strong, evidence-based foundation.

Celebrating Our Community: The 5,000-Strong Milestone

In June of 2023, we celebrated a truly historic achievement: welcoming our 5,000th certified professional. This was more than a number; it was a powerful symbol of the critical mass our community has achieved. It represents a formidable, nationwide network of experts who are collectively raising the standard of care in their institutions and communities.

We had the honor of highlighting our 5,000th certificant, Dr. Aisha Sharma, who had recently earned her Certified Cardiometabolic Care Pharmacist (CCCP) credential. We recently followed up with Dr. Sharma to see what impact the certification has had in the year since.

“The impact of my CCCP certification has been even greater than I anticipated,” Dr. Sharma shared. “The deep confidence it gave me in my clinical decision-making was instrumental in a successful proposal to our leadership team to expand our pharmacist-led cardiometabolic clinic. We’ve now been able to increase our patient capacity by 30%. On a personal level, the digital badge on my LinkedIn profile has been incredible. It’s started conversations with peers across the country and has led to some amazing networking opportunities. Being a visible part of this vibrant community of over 32,000 certified specialists is truly inspiring and motivating.”

Dr. Sharma’s story is a microcosm of the larger impact of our community. Each certified professional is an agent of change, driving improvements in patient safety, clinical outcomes, and operational efficiency.

Launching a New Standard: The Compliance & Regulatory Affairs Portfolio

The strategic centerpiece of 2023 was the landmark launch of our Comprehensive Compliance & Regulatory Affairs Portfolio. This suite of six certifications was a direct response to the data from our 2022 Job Task Analysis and the clear need for a national standard in this high-stakes, high-risk area of pharmacy.

The launch in February was one of our most successful to date, attracting hundreds of highly experienced candidates in its very first testing window. The immediate, positive reception from pharmacy leaders, compliance officers, and regulatory experts affirmed the critical need for these credentials.

We heard from one of the first pharmacists to earn the new Certified Pharmacy Compliance Officer (CPCO) credential:

“For years, those of us in pharmacy compliance have built our expertise through on-the-job experience, often in isolation. There was no formal way to validate our specialized skill set. The CPCO certification is a true game-changer. The rigor of the exam preparation process was a phenomenal professional development experience, and holding the credential provides a new level of authority and credibility when I’m speaking with hospital leadership or preparing for an external audit. It’s the national benchmark our specialty has been waiting for.”

The successful launch of this portfolio cements CPS’s role as the comprehensive credentialing body for the entire profession, from front-line clinical roles to the most complex administrative and regulatory functions.

Enhancing the Value of Your Certification

A core focus of 2023 was on delivering more tangible value to our certificants. The most visible of these initiatives was the August rollout of our official digital badging program. We partnered with a leading technology provider to give every certificant a modern, verifiable, and portable way to showcase their achievement.

The response was phenomenal. The 90%+ adoption rate and the over 100,000 shares of CPS digital badges across professional platforms like LinkedIn in the first few months demonstrate a clear desire for such tools. These badges are empowering you to better tell your professional story, connect your validated skills to career opportunities, and build your professional brand with trusted, verifiable credentials.

Behind the scenes, the positive impact of the streamlined application portal we launched in late 2022 was felt throughout the year. We saw a significant reduction in application processing times and a marked decrease in common application errors, creating a smoother and more efficient experience for our thousands of new candidates.

Our Commitment to the Future

CPS maintained a strong and stable financial position throughout 2023, which is the foundation that allows for the continuous reinvestment of our program revenue directly back into our mission. Every dollar is used to support the development of new, relevant standards and to enhance the resources we provide to you.

The successes of 2023 have provided powerful momentum as we execute our strategic plan. The expertise we gained from launching the highly specialized Compliance portfolio, combined with the deep engagement from our now 32,000-strong community, provides the perfect foundation for our next major initiative. As we look ahead, we are well on track for the planned 2024 launch of our Advanced Clinical & Investigational Drug Services Portfolio, a project that will once again push the boundaries of pharmacy practice.

2023 was a year defined by the strength and growth of our community. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to excellence, your expertise, and your trust. We are honored to be your partner on this journey.

To view more details, a financial overview, and a full list of our achievements, please download the complete 2023 CPS Impact Report [here].