ACCP Clinical Pharmacist Competencies

Abstract

The purpose of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) is to advance human health by extending the frontiers of clinical pharmacy. Consistent with this mission and its core values, ACCP is committed to ensuring that clinical pharmacists possess the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary to deliver comprehensive medication management (CMM) in team-based, direct patient care environments. These components form the basis for the core competencies of a clinical pharmacist and reflect the competencies of other direct patient care providers. This paper is an update to a previous ACCP document and includes the expectation that clinical pharmacists be competent in six essential domains: direct patient care, pharmacotherapy knowledge, systems-based care and population health, communication, professionalism, and continuing professional development. Although these domains align with the competencies of physician providers, they are specifically designed to better reflect the clinical pharmacy expertise required to provide CMM in patient-centered, team-based settings. Clinical pharmacists must be prepared to complete the education and training needed to achieve these competencies and must commit to ongoing efforts to maintain competence through ongoing professional development. Collaboration among stakeholders will be needed to ensure that these competencies guide clinical pharmacists' professional development and evaluation by educational institutions, postgraduate training programs, professional societies, and employers.

ACCP Template for Evaluating a Clinical Pharmacist

“…Committee members deemed this appropriate, given that the overarching task domains of both pharmacotherapy specialists and physicians are to provide quality health care. The resulting six domains are consistent with the core clinical pharmacist competencies articulated by the ACCP Certification Affairs Committee: direct patient care, pharmacotherapy knowledge, systems‐based care and population health, communication, professionalism, and continuing professional development …”

“…Committee members preferentially included items that could be assessed objectively or measured. Finally, to be consistent with the recommendations of the Board of Regents and the 2016 ACCP Certification Affairs Committee, which was updating the ACCP guideline on clinical pharmacist competencies, the committee aligned the core domains of the template with the six general competency domains of the ACGME Outcome Project . Committee members deemed this appropriate, given that the overarching task domains of both pharmacotherapy specialists and physicians are to provide quality health care.…”

Physical examination training for pharmacy residents in adult patient care programs: A survey of program directors

“…While a review of national association policy positions, guidelines, and white papers is beyond the scope of this article, it is worth noting that ASHP (in addition to residency documents) has published multiple guidelines promoting assessment of physical signs when monitoring medication therapy . The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) states explicitly that clinical pharmacists are those “who have completed accredited postgraduate clinical training (or obtained equivalent postgraduate clinical experience), have achieved board certification in a Board of Pharmacy Specialties clinical specialty, and are practicing in team‐based, direct patient care environments.” The former two qualifications for a clinical pharmacist (completion of an accredited residency and board certification) have guidance, competency statements, and content outlines that explicitly mention physical assessment. Additionally, in 2017, ACCP published an update to the Template for Evaluating a Clinical Pharmacist that calls for “Documentation of applicable and complete patient assessment…,” including physical assessment data …”

Role of clinical pharmacists and pharmacy support personnel in transitions of care

“…They must also be aware of the pharmacist's role in TOC best practices. Therefore, clinical pharmacists must have focused training to provide successful TOC activities . Such training can be acquired through education in pharmacy schools, postgraduate training, and professional development programs delivered within or outside a specific health system.…”