BCNP

Items are multiple choice. The great majority require a single response from among four options. Some examinations may include a small percentage of items requiring selection of multiple (three or four) responses from among up to eight options. Items may also be supplemented by an image.

The outline is a product of a job analysis, or role delineation study, involving a panel of 15-20 subject matter experts who determine the competencies required for safe and effective practice; board-certified pharmacists then validate those competencies through a survey. The job analysis is conducted every 5 years.

No. To maintain independent standards, BPS does not provide review information, preparatory courses, or study guides. Suggested preparation includes studying journal articles, textbooks, or other publications related to the content outline, attending continuing education programs and courses, participating in study groups and exam preparation courses, and reviewing sample items.

Use them only to familiarize yourself with the structure and formats presented on the exam. BPS states the samples are not a self-assessment, do not appear on the certification examination, and are not meant to identify the examination's scope. Performance on sample items does not correlate with performance on the actual examination.

The Nuclear Pharmacy Examination Content Outline, linked from the BPS Nuclear Pharmacy page, provides details on eligibility requirements and effective dates. Examination dates and fees for certification examinations are listed on the BPS upcoming deadlines, dates, and fees page.

Certification is maintained over a seven-year period through one of two pathways. Option one is a passing score on the BPS recertification examination. Option two is the professional development program, requiring 100 units. Requirements differ depending on whether your certification began January 1, 2023 or earlier, or January 1, 2024 or later.

Certificants must submit their recertification application no later than August 17, and BPS encourages submitting as early as January 1 of the recertification year. Candidates recertifying via continuing pharmacy education must still submit the application by August 17 even if CPE requirements are incomplete. The deadline to complete required CPE is December 31.

For recertification via the professional development program, BPS lists Purdue University College of Pharmacy as the provider of BPS-approved professional development programs for nuclear pharmacy. BPS also lists Purdue University's Office of Continuing Pharmacy Education among informational study resources; that listing is not an endorsement or an exhaustive list of preparation options.

Treating sample items as a self-assessment or as a scope guide is a documented pitfall, since BPS states sample performance does not correlate with actual exam performance and samples do not identify the examination's scope. Instead, build study around the validated content outline and confirm eligibility and deadlines before applying.