How are psychiatric and neurologic pharmacists educated?
All pharmacists complete pharmacy school and pass a national test to become licensed. Following licensure, the practitioner can complete a first year general residency and may choose to complete a second year of residency which focuses on psychiatric or neurologic pharmacy alone. An additional option is to complete a 2-year Masters Degree and Psychiatric Residency program, which counts toward completing a two-year resicency.
Another path a pharmacist may choose is to complete a fellowship. Psychiatry and neurology pharmacy fellowships are 2-year commitments and traditionally focus on research related to psychiatric or neurologic agents. Once a pharmacist has met certain criteria, they may sit for a national exam that qualifies them to use the credentials of Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist (BCPP). The benefit of working with a BCPP is that the pharmacist must maintain expertise in this area through education and/or a repeat examination testing skills and knowledge.