Alexandria, VA, April 25, 2003—The Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy (CCGP) and the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) have announced a partnership in providing a continuing education option for recertification of CCGP Certified Geriatric Pharmacists. CCGP has designated ASCP as the exclusive provider of the professional development program for Certified Geriatric Pharmacist recertification. The program will be implemented in late-June of this year.

To become certified, candidates must hold a valid pharmacy license, have two years experience in pharmacy practice, and successfully complete the Certification Examination in Geriatric Pharmacy. Until now, the only method available to candidates for recertification was to retake the certification examination every five years. The 150-item, multiple-choice CCGP exam is designed to assess candidates’ knowledge in three areas of practice: patient-specific activities (34%), disease-specific activities (56%), and quality improvement/utilization management activities (10%).

As CCGP enters its sixth year of operation, the knowledge base for the Certified Geriatric Pharmacist credential has been well documented. “We were confident that we could identify an organization capable of offering a professional development program that measures continued competence based on the content outline of the Certified Geriatric Pharmacist examination,” notes Mr. Martin. Drawing from the successful experiences of similar pharmacist credentialing programs, CCGP made a commitment to pursue an alternate recertification path and issued a Request For Proposal in July 2002 to solicit proposals for the program. ASCP was the contractor selected during that process.

“We’re very excited about working with ASCP to offer this option to our recertification candidates,” notes Michael Martin, CCGP Executive Director. “CCGP was founded by ASCP and our shared vision to ensure the highest quality care to the elder population make this a very natural step forward,” says Martin.

Under the new program, recertification candidates must successfully complete 75 hours of American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE)-approved continuing education over a five-year period. The specifically designated ASCP programs were approved for the professional development program by the CCGP Board of Commissioners. Candidates may complete a maximum of 25 continuing education hours during their first two years of certification and must complete at least 50 of the required hours during years three through five of each certification period. ASCP will utilize its award-winning website, GeriatricPharmacyReview.com, and live workshops held in conjunction with ASCP national meetings for delivery of the education programs.

“The professional development program for CGP recertification compliments the ASCP strategic framework in that it supports pharmacists developing their image and identity as experts in senior care regardless of setting, and it continues to expand the senior care pharmacist’s body of knowledge,” states ASCP Chairman of the Board Mark Sey.

Recertification assures the public and the profession that CCGP-certified pharmacists undergo periodic evaluation to verify that their knowledge and skills are maintained at a level comparable to those being newly certified. CCGP requires all Certified Geriatric Pharmacists to recertify every five (5) years. Under the new program, to be recertified, an individual must be currently licensed to practice pharmacy and successfully complete ONE of two methods: (1) achieving a passing score on a multiple-choice 150-question examination administered by CCGP, or (2) earning 75 continuing education hours through the newly approved ASCP professional development program for CGPs.

CCGP was created by the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) Board of Directors on February 27, 1997. CCGP is a nonprofit corporation, autonomous from ASCP and with its own governing Board of Commissioners. For more information about CCGP and its certification program, contact Michael C. Martin, CCGP Executive Director, at 703-535-3036, or email: mmartin@ccgp.org, or visit the CCGP web site at http://www.ccgp.org/pharmacist.

The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) is the international professional association that provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to advance the practice of senior care pharmacy. Consultant pharmacists specializing in senior care pharmacy practice are essential participants in the health care system, recognized and valued for the practice of pharmaceutical care for the senior population and people with chronic illness. In their role as medication therapy experts, consultant pharmacists take responsibility for their patients’ medication-related needs; ensure that their patients’ medications are the most appropriate, the most effective, the safest possible, and are used correctly; and identify, resolve, and prevent medication-related problems that may interfere with the goals of therapy. ASCP’s 6,000 members manage and improve drug therapy and improve the quality of life of geriatric patients and other individuals residing in a variety of environments, including nursing facilities, subacute care and assisted living facilities, psychiatric hospitals, hospice programs, and in home and community-based care. Visit ASCP’s Web site at http://www.ascp.com.