Design and implementation of a credentialing and privileging model for ambulatory care pharmacists

Abstract

Over recent years, the pharmacy profession has evolved to place the pharmacist in a more patient-centered, clinical role. This trend has resulted in pharmacists providing care independently under established collaborative practice agreements with indirect physician supervision. The increasing complexity of health care lends itself to pharmacists practicing as part of an interdisciplinary health care team and specializing in certain therapeutic areas. In response to this increased responsibility, 12 national organizations, including the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, American Pharmacists Association, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, formed the Council on Credentialing in Pharmacy, a coalition recommending credentialing and privileging programs for pharmacy. The council was founded in 1999 to provide leadership standards, public information, and coordination for professional voluntary credentialing programs in pharmacy. A white paper was published to provide a common frame of reference and raise issues that need to be addressed.1 The Council on Credentialing in Pharmacy defines credentials as documented evidence of a pharmacist’s qualifications. Credentialing is the process by which an organization or institution obtains, verifies, and assesses a pharmacist’s qualifications to provide patient care services. And, finally, privileging is the method by which a health care organization, after reviewing an individual health care provider’s credentials and performance and finding them satisfactory, authorizes that individual to perform a specific scope of patient care services within that organization.