Practice Guidelines for Pharmacotherapy Specialists...
The purpose of these practice guidelines is to describe the level of clinical pharmacy practice, knowledge, specialized skills, and unique functions that characterize the pharmacotherapy specialist.

Pharmacotherapy is that area of pharmacy practice that ensures the safe, appropriate, and economical use of medications. To function in this capacity requires specialized education and/or structured training in the clinical sciences. The pharmacotherapy specialist possesses unique professional knowledge and skills gained through advanced training in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, and clinical sciences, as well as through practice experiences. The pharmacotherapy specialist is skilled in the use of sound judgment in the collection, interpretation, and application of patient-specific data that are used to assist with the design, implementation, and monitoring of therapeutic regimens. Knowledge and skills of the pharmacotherapy specialist may be acquired through primary academic curricula, post-graduate residency or fellowship training, or innovative and extensive pharmacy practice experiences. The skills of the pharmacotherapy specialist, when applied across the entire continuum of the health care system, benefit individual patients, health care organizations, and society in general. The pharmacotherapy specialist is a licensed pharmacist and graduate of an accredited college or school of pharmacy.

The pharmacotherapy specialist is recognized by the pharmacy, medical, and allied health professions and by society in general as an expert in the area of applied pharmacotherapeutics and as an integral member of the health care team. Regardless of whether the specialist practices in acute or ambulatory care, the pharmacotherapy specialist meets the guidelines outlined in this document by the routine performance of the activities described in the assessment factors as part of daily pharmacy practice responsibilities.