The Board of Pharmacy Specialties Announces Open Nominations Period for Expanded 2024 BPS Awards

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) announces the call for nominations for the expanded BPS Awards for 2024. The BPS Rising Star Award and BPS Beacon Award were created to further recognize pharmacists making a change in patient care through board certification. Additionally, the BPS Weaver/Penna Award was revised to be solely dedicated to individuals. The deadline for nomination materials for 2024 awards is Friday, September 15, 2023. The nominations form can be found here.

The purpose of the awards offered by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) Awards Committee is to recognize numerous individuals and patient care organizations for their contributions to highlight, recognize, and celebrate board-certified pharmacists that improve patient safety outcomes.

"The BPS Awards Program highlights the tremendous work that outstanding pharmacists and patient care organizations have done to provide advanced and optimal patient care while promoting and recognizing the importance and value of BPS board certification. Their accomplishments make a difference in lives around the globe" stated BPS Awards Committee Chair, Marie E. Michnich, DrPH.

The nominator is responsible for submitting the nomination materials, as outlined below, by Friday, September 15, 2023. The selection is made by the BPS Board of Directors based upon careful review of complete nominations. The award recipients will be selected and notified by late Fall 2023.

The nomination packet must include the following items:

• The BPS Rising Star Award, launching in 2024, aims to recognize pharmacists who have made outstanding early career contributions to the advancement of BPS Board Certification. Self-nominations are not accepted for this award. A person must submit the following for the nominee:
• Electronic nomination form found here;
• A letter from the nominator(s) describing the most important achievements of the nominee and explaining why the nominee meets the criteria for the award (500 words or less);
• At least one, but no more than two letters of recommendation describing the nominee's accomplishments relative to the award criteria; and
• A detailed resumé or CV
• The BPS Weaver Penna Award, which was revised in 2023 to recognize outstanding individuals only, will be awarded to pharmacists making outstanding contributions to supporting pharmacist certification. Previously, BPS recognized pharmacists and patient care organizations with the Warren Weaver/Richard Penna Award. In 2023, the BPS Beacon Award was established to recognize organizations, which allows the BPS Weaver/Penna Award to be solely dedicated to recognizing outstanding individuals supporting pharmacist certification. Self-nominations are not accepted for this award. A person must submit the following for the nominee:
• Electronic nomination form found here;
• A letter from the nominator(s) describing the most important achievements of the nominee and explaining why the nominee meets the criteria for the award (500 words or less);
• At least one, but no more than two letters of recommendation describing the nominee's accomplishments relative to the award criteria; and
• A detailed resumé or CV
• The BPS Beacon Award, launching in 2024, aims to recognize local and national organizations that are supporting pharmacist board certification. The BPS Beacon award has a national and local category. The national category nominee must be a health system with multiple locations regionally or nationally that has advanced health quality and/or patient care by promoting the recognition and value of specialized training, knowledge, and skills in pharmacy and the BPS Board Certification of pharmacists. The local category nominee must be a patient care organization (e.g., hospital, FQHC, clinic), or department of a patient care organization (e.g., pharmacy department, primary care service line) with a single location. Any person may nominate an organization for the BPS Beacon Award. Self-nominations are accepted for the BPS Beacon Award. A person nominating an organization must submit the following for the nominee:
• Electronic nomination form found here;
• Nomination on official form available from BPS;
• A letter from the nominator describing the most important achievements of the nominee and explaining why the nominee meets the criteria for the award;
• Letters of recommendation as described above; and
• A detailed description of the organization should be included

If a nominee is not chosen as the recipient for the award in the year the nomination is submitted, nomination packet/materials may be resubmitted for consideration the subsequent year(s), with updates as appropriate.

The award will be conferred at a meeting or venue deemed appropriate by the BPS Board of Directors based upon the preferences of the award recipient. The award will include the BPS logo inscribed with the recipient's name and date of presentation. Travel expenses will be covered based upon current BPS travel policies as deemed appropriate by the BPS Board of Directors based upon the nature of the presentation. In addition, the BPS offices will display a perpetual plaque recognizing previous award recipients.

For more information about the award, details about the BPS Awards, click here. Questions regarding the award and be directed to Ellie LaNou, Director of Professional Affairs, at [email protected].

About the Board of Pharmacy Specialties
The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) was established in 1976 as an autonomous division of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). The mission of BPS is to improve patient care by positioning BPS Board-Certified Pharmacist Specialists as integral members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams, through recognition and promotion of specialized training, knowledge, and skills for pharmacists in the United States and internationally. Board certification is a recognized credential for determining which pharmacists are qualified to contribute at advanced practice levels given the rigorous standards mandated by BPS board certification and recertification. BPS currently recognizes more than 58,800 active pharmacist certifications in 14 specialties.

BPS Media Contact
Alexander Jean-Baptiste
Senior Manager, Social Media & Content Marketing
[email protected]
(202) 760-3836

SOURCE Board of Pharmacy Specialties