These professional demands include the following:
- The expansion of pharmacy services to provide more direct patient care;
- The increasing need for pharmacist specialization;
- The documentation and the pursuit of reimbursement/compensation for services provided;
- The demonstration of competency in order to provide advanced practice services;
- The need for accountability of individual practitioners and companies.
Credentials
Credentials are indicators that a professional holds the qualifications to practice in a certain area (i.e., pharmacy) and is worthy of the trust bestowed by patients, healthcare professionals and society.
Council on Credentialing in Pharmacy has identified three types of credentials:
- Credentials needed to prepare for practice (academic degrees);
- Credentials needed to enter practice and maintain/update professional knowledge base/skill set (state license and renewal);
- Voluntary credentials to document advances/specialized knowledge/skills (board certification).
Credentialing
Credentialing is used by organizations to validate professional license, clinical experience, and other preparation for a specialized practice. Documentation of qualifications that are expected of a healthcare provider to practice in a specific setting.
Historically, in hospitals this has included verification of graduation from school of pharmacy and license to practice pharmacy from state board of pharmacy in good standing.
Privileging
Privileging is a process to define specific services provided by a pharmacist practitioner. It ensures that the individuals being granted privileges do perform the said activities, can demonstrate competency and have ample experience providing the services.
Privileging for pharmacists is not generally done except in certain practice setting (Veterans Affairs, hospitals that provide specialized services such as kinetics, dosing, etc.)
