BPS Announces Call for Nominations for 2026 BPS Awards

WASHINGTON, July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) announces the call for nominations for three BPS Awards: the BPS Rising Star Award, the BPS Weaver Penna Award, and the BPS Beacon Award. Nominations can be submitted here by the deadline of Monday, September 15, 2025, at 5:00pm EDT. The award recipients will be announced in January 2026.

"Through the BPS Awards Program, we recognize pharmacists and healthcare organizations that exemplify leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing board certification," said Ruthie Nemire, PharmD, EdD, FCCP, CRQM, Chair of the BPS Awards Committee. "By highlighting these contributions, we reinforce the value of board certification in strengthening pharmacy practice and ultimately improving patient care on a global scale."

The BPS Rising Star Award recognizes pharmacists early in their careers who have made outstanding contributions to advancing BPS Board Certification. The BPS Weaver Penna Award, revised in 2024, exclusively honors individuals who have made exceptional lifetime achievements in promoting board certification. The BPS Beacon Award honors national and local patient care organizations that have made significant voluntary contributions to the promotion of BPS Board Certification for pharmacists.

The nominator is responsible for submitting the complete nomination application here, as outlined below, by Monday, September 15, 2025. Self-nominations are not accepted for the BPS Rising Star and BPS Weaver Penna Award. Self-nominations are accepted for the BPS Beacon Award. Award selections are made by the BPS Board of Directors based upon careful review of complete nominations. The award recipients will be notified by late fall 2025.

BPS Rising Star Award
The BPS Rising Star Award recognizes early career pharmacists (completed their terminal pharmacy training or degree within the past 7 years) who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of BPS Board Certification.

The following materials must be submitted within the electronic nomination form found here:

• A letter from the nominator(s) describing the most important achievements of the nominee and explaining why the nominee meets the criteria for the award (500 words or less);
• At least one additional, but no more than two letters of recommendation describing the nominee's accomplishments relative to the award criteria; and
• A detailed resumé or CV.

BPS Weaver Penna Award
The Warren E. Weaver/Richard P. Penna Award is for individual persons recognized for having made outstanding voluntary contributions to the advancement of BPS Board Certification of pharmacists.

The following materials must be submitted within the electronic nomination form found here:

• A letter from the nominator describing the most important achievements of the nominee and explaining why the nominee meets the criteria for the award (500 words or less);
• At least one additional, but no more than two letters of recommendation describing the nominee's accomplishments relative to the award criteria; and
• A detailed resumé or CV.

BPS Beacon Award
The BPS Beacon Award recognizes national and local patient care organizations that have made outstanding voluntary contributions to the advancement of BPS board certification of pharmacists.

• The national category nominee must be a health system with multiple locations regionally or nationally that has advanced health quality and/or patient care by promoting the recognition and value of specialized training, knowledge, and skills in pharmacy and the BPS Board Certification of pharmacists.
• The local category nominee must be a patient care organization (e.g., hospital, FQHC, clinic), or department of a patient care organization (e.g., pharmacy department, primary care service line) with a single location.

The following materials must be submitted within the electronic nomination form found here:

• A letter from the nominator describing the most important achievements of the nominee and explaining why the nominee meets the criteria for the award;
• At least one additional, but no more than three letters of recommendation describing the nominee's accomplishments relative to the award criteria; and
• A detailed description of the organization should be included.

If a past nominee was not selected, nomination materials (with appropriate updates) may be resubmitted for consideration.

Each award will be presented at a meeting or venue deemed suitable by the BPS Board of Directors and the award recipient. The award will include the BPS logo, inscribed with the recipient's name. Travel expenses will be covered according to current BPS travel policies, as deemed appropriate. Additionally, the BPS offices will display a perpetual plaque recognizing previous award recipients.

For more information about the BPS Awards Program, click here. Questions regarding the awards can be directed to Sajel Lewis, Senior Manager, Professional Engagement, at slewis@aphanet.org.

About the Board of Pharmacy Specialties
The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) was established in 1976 as an autonomous division of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). The mission of BPS is to improve patient care by positioning BPS Board-Certified Pharmacist Specialists as integral members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams, through recognition and promotion of specialized training, knowledge, and skills for pharmacists in the United States and internationally. Board certification is a recognized credential for determining which pharmacists are qualified to contribute at advanced practice levels given the rigorous standards mandated by BPS board certification and recertification. As of the end of 2024, BPS recognized more than 62,250 pharmacist certifications across 15 specialties.

BPS Media Contact
Alexander Jean-Baptiste
Associate Director, Digital Marketing and Communications
ajeanbaptiste@aphanet.org
(202) 760-3836

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SOURCE Board of Pharmacy Specialties