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CPRB News - March 2023 

Call for Residency Roadmap reviewers and interviewers 2022

Residency news: Fall 2021

It's been an eventful season for pharmacy residency in Canada!

The fall edition of the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board's newsletter covers important updates from the Standards Group and key PRAMS dates to remember.

You'll also read a story of pharmacy innovation: Peek behind-the-scenes at how residency program surveys have continued in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic with the first-ever virtual program surveys. You'll hear directly from surveyors and program directors and coordinators, plus glean some tips for programs that might be participating in virtual surveys in the future. 

 

BPS to recognize Year 1 residencies accredited by the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board

“We’re proud that Canada’s tremendous residency programs are gaining in visibility and global recognition,” says Zack Dumont, President of CSHP.

Ottawa, ON – In 2022, Year 1 pharmacy residency programs accredited by the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB) will be accepted as an approved standard for meeting the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) requirements for the eligibility pathways that recognize PGY-1 residency programs. In short, graduates of accredited Canadian residency programs will be able to count their completed training toward BPS’s requirements and reduce the years of experience needed before applying to write a specialization exam. 

This decision marks a major milestone: CPRB’s accreditation standards are the first from a non-American organization to be recognized as meeting BPS’s requirements for eligibility pathways. “We’re proud that Canada’s tremendous residency programs are gaining in visibility and global recognition,” says Zack Dumont, President of CSHP.

In response to CSHP’s formal request in 2020, the BPS Board and Specialty Council Taskforce evaluated Canada’s residency standards. Taskforce member Elizabeth Leung, a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Infectious Diseases/Antimicrobial at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto comments, “I am pleased to see that this decision expands the BPS eligibility pathways to include CPRB-accredited Year 1 pharmacy residency programs. This decision adds additional flexibility to meet eligibility but also maintains the overall rigour of the BPS certification process.”

Melanie Danilak chairs the CPRB, an autonomous Board under the auspices of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists. She says, “BPS’s decision speaks to the high quality and standards of CRPB’s system. It’s gratifying to see this validation from such a respected organization.” Founded in 1962, CPRB establishes accreditation standards, develops residency education initiatives, and accredits roughly 30 pharmacy residency programs across Canada, with an average of 100 graduates each year.

BPS’s decision will not take effect until January 2022. Under the current BPS policy, individuals completing residencies that are not accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) are eligible to apply under the practice experience pathway. Further, residencies accredited under the ASHP International Standard currently meet the eligibility pathways that recognize PGY-1 residency programs. 

BPS’s recognition of CPRB-accredited programs as an eligibility pathway will benefit Canadian pharmacists and patients alike. “This is important news for pharmacists in this country,” says CSHP CEO Jody Ciufo. “Almost 1,000 Canadian pharmacists, many of whom work in hospitals, currently hold a BPS certification. More specialized knowledge means better outcomes for patients.”  

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About the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists

CSHP represents pharmacy professionals working in hospitals and other collaborative healthcare settings who seek excellence in patient care through the advancement of safe and effective medication use. The Society offers its 3,000+ members education, information sharing, promotion of best practices, conferences, national advocacy, facilitation of research, and recognition of excellence. It also publishes the Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, conducts the Hospital Pharmacy in Canada Survey, and accredits pharmacy residency programs across Canada. 

 

CSHP Media Contact

Christina Adams

Chief Pharmacy Officer

cadams@cshp.ca

613-912-3494

 

Check Out What's New on the CSHP Foundation's Publications Page

Check out the CSHP Foundation's Publications page for new links to reports on the following completed Foundation Grant projects:

 

Research Grants:

 

Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB) Invites You to Join Us for a CPRB Webinar

Overview and Application of the 2018 Accreditation Standards for
Pharmacy (Year 1) Residencies
 

Description:
This webinar will describe the major differences between the 2018 Accreditation Standards for Pharmacy (Year 1) Residencies and the previous 2010 standards, as well as considerations for residency programs undergoing accreditation under the 2018 standards.

Learning Objectives: 

• List five main changes associated with the new accreditation standards.
• Describe specific examples of where the new accreditation standards may require particular consideration by programs preparing for accreditation.

PLEASE REGISTER HERE