Related Experiment Videos
Association Between Time From Eligibility to Examination and Exam Outcomes Among Residency-Trained Board of Pharmacy
Emily Weyenberg1, Amin Saiar1, Yu Meng1
1Board of Pharmacy Specialties, Washington, DC, USA.
Background:
Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) board certification represents a recognized standard for advanced pharmacy practice and provides formal validation of specialized knowledge and skills through rigorously developed examinations. In other health professions, taking certification or licensure examinations soon after completing training has been associated with higher pass rates, while delays have been linked to poorer outcomes. This study investigates whether a similar pattern exists among BPS candidates, particularly those who complete residency training and become eligible for certification.
Methods:
This study evaluates the association between time from eligibility to examination and first-attempt outcomes among residency-trained pharmacists. This cross-sectional analysis used deidentified data from the BPS MyBPS database for United States-based candidates who attained eligibility through post-graduate year one (PGY1) or post-graduate year two (PGY2) residency training and completed a first-attempt certification examination in 2025. Time to examination was defined as the number of days between residency completion and exam date and was categorized as ≤ 365 days, 366-730 days, and > 730 days. The primary outcome was examination result (pass or fail).
Results:
Among 2598 candidates, pass rates declined as time-to-exam increased. Candidates who delayed testing beyond 2 years had significantly lower pass rates compared with those testing within 1 year (p < 0.001) and between one and 2 years (p = 0.011), while no significant difference was observed between the other two groups (p = 0.225).
Conclusion:
Overall, longer time from eligibility to examination was associated with lower first-attempt success. These findings suggest that sitting for a BPS board certification examination within 2 years may improve outcomes and inform decision-making for candidates.
Related Concept Videos
Noncompartmental Analysis: Mean Residence Time
After the administration of a drug through intravenous bolus injection, the drug molecules are distributed throughout the body and remain there for varying periods. The MRT represents the average time these drug molecules stay in the...
Analysis of Population Pharmacokinetic Data
Pharmacokinetic–Pharmacodynamic Relationship: Influence of Elimination Half-Life on Effect Duration
Pharmacokinetic–Pharmacodynamic Relationship: Duration of Dose-Effect Relationship
Measurement of Bioavailability: Pharmacodynamic Methods
Noncompartmental Analysis: Mean Transit, Absorption and Dissolution Time
One of the key parameters is the mean transit time (MTT), which refers to the total duration required for drug molecules to transit through the body. MTT is determined by calculating the ratio of the area under the moment curve to the area...