PURPOSE: A survey was conducted of residency program directors (RPDs) to identify the extent of their Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS) certification and their motivations and incentives to obtain certification, to determine the number of RPDs who meet the new American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) post-graduate year 2 (PGY2) residency standard for board certification, and to investigate the relationships between RPDs' characteristics and BPS certification.

METHODS: A 35-item, electronic questionnaire was developed to obtain data on the type of residency program or geographic setting and the RPD's practice setting, job title, faculty rank, education and training, length of practice, length of time served as an RPD, and certifications obtained.

RESULTS: Of 717 surveys, 327 were completed. More than one third of all RPDs were currently BPS certified compared with a 30% RPD certification rate according to the BPS directory. A higher percentage of PGY2 RPDs were BPS certified overall compared with PGY1 RPDs. Eighty-two RPDs had completed an ASHP-accredited specialized residency program and were more likely to be BPS certified.

CONCLUSION: In a survey of RPDs, more than one third of the respondents were BPS certified; professional and personal development was the most common motivation to earn certification. New pharmacy residency accreditation standards did not appear to be an important motivator for certification. Of the RPDs who will require board certification with the new standards, 71% already met the requirement. RPDs who practiced in academia or focused on critical care were more likely to be certified than those with training or positions in community practice or practice management.