Clinical Pharmacists Earn Highest Certification in Field

Pharmacists play a vital role in any health and recovery plan. It is the pharmacist’s responsibility to obtain and evaluate medications specified for each patient’s medical conditions or status in order to help optimize medication management and prevent errors.

Given the complex nature of some insurance and reimbursement plans, pharmacists also are tasked with making sure that these same medications are readily available as effective and affordable treatment options.

At North Oaks, patients benefit from the knowledge and expertise of an entire department of pharmaceutical experts, three of whom recently achieved additional certifications through the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS).

Clinical Pharmacists Jennifer Bowles and Sabrina Moragne earned board certification in Pharmacotherapy, which involves the treatment of disease with medications, and Whitney Rogers earned board certification in Critical Care Pharmacy, which focuses on managing the safe and effective use of medications in critically ill patients.

By earning BPS certification, Bowles, Moragne and Rogers join an elite, worldwide group of 46,000 pharmaceutical professionals, of which only 161 are certified in Louisiana. Board certification through BPS is recognized worldwide as the gold standard for determining which pharmacists are uniquely qualified to contribute at advanced practice levels.

“Having and maintaining these specialty board certifications strengthens our ability to collaborate with each patient’s overall care team to provide safe and comprehensive care – even in complex cases,” Bowles explains.

Moragne adds, “Ultimately, the goal is for patients to benefit from improved health, outcomes and experiences, and decreased medication costs.”

“We look forward to using the knowledge gained from these certifications to forward the health system’s mission of improving lives every time and with every touch,” affirms Rogers.

Bowles has belonged to the North Oaks Pharmacy team for 15 years, and Moragne has served for seven years, while Rogers joined the staff four years ago in 2016. All three clinical pharmacists also are certified by the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists and have earned Antimicrobial Stewardship Certificates for Acute Care, which promotes the appropriate use of antibiotics to combat resistance and unnecessary use.

According to BPS, certified pharmacists are responsible for addressing the complex medication needs of patients in all practice settings. Physicians and other health care providers rely on board certified pharmacists to help design new or modify existing medication regimens, monitor for and prevent adverse reactions or interactions, and recommend the most cost-effective treatments. Their involvement can enhance patient satisfaction via fewer complications in drug treatment, improve laboratory monitoring, eliminate unnecessary medications, reduce the length of hospital stays and lower treatment costs.

Established in 1976 as an autonomous division of the American Pharmacists Association, BPS is recognized as the premiere post-licensure certification agency for the pharmacy profession.