ACCP-ASHP Critical Care Pharmacy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course Online Book, Online Course, CE 2025

Critical Care Pharmacy • BCCCP Board Review • ICU Pharmacotherapy • Sepsis • Shock • Neurocritical Care • Cardiovascular Critical Care • Pulmonary Disorders • AKI & CRRT • Toxicology • Antimicrobial Therapy

The ACCP/ASHP Critical Care Pharmacy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course 2025 provides a comprehensive, case-based review of critical care pharmacotherapy for pharmacists preparing for the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) Critical Care Pharmacy Specialty Certification Examination and for Board Certified Critical Care Pharmacists seeking structured recertification-focused education.

Developed jointly by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), the course is designed around the domains, tasks, and knowledge statements outlined in the BPS Critical Care Pharmacy content framework.

The 2025 curriculum includes 5 modules covering 20 major critical care pharmacy topics, including professional practice standards, research design, fluids and electrolytes, infectious diseases, pharmacokinetics, acute kidney injury, neurocritical care, cardiovascular critical care, hepatic and endocrine emergencies, shock syndromes, sedation and delirium, pulmonary disorders, and toxicology.

Course Details

• Course: ACCP/ASHP Critical Care Pharmacy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course
• Provider: American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) / American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
• Year: 2025
• Release Date: September 17, 2025
• Primary Focus: Critical Care Pharmacy Board Review and Recertification
• Board Focus: BPS Critical Care Pharmacy Specialty Certification / BCCCP
• Official Curriculum: 5 Modules
• Total Topics: 20
• Learning Approach: Case-Based
• Official CPE: Up to 22.25 Contact Hours
• Official BCCCP Recertification: Up to 22.25 Hours
• Language: English
• MedicalAmboss Package: Videos + Audios + Slides/PDFs
• Study Format: Self-Paced

The official 2025 package includes an online workbook, audio-synchronized presentations, downloadable MP3 files, downloadable MP4 files, printable slide PDFs, a practice examination, and continuing education options.

Target Audience

The course is designed primarily for pharmacists preparing for the BPS Critical Care Pharmacy Specialty Certification Examination and pharmacists seeking a detailed review of contemporary critical care pharmacotherapy.

It is especially relevant to:

• Critical Care Pharmacists
• Board Certified Critical Care Pharmacists
• Pharmacists preparing for BCCCP certification
• ICU Pharmacists
• Emergency Medicine Pharmacists
• Clinical Pharmacists
• Hospital Pharmacists
• Pharmacy Residents
• PGY1 Pharmacy Residents
• PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residents
• Pharmacy Fellows
• Pharmacists practicing in medical, surgical, cardiac, neurologic, or trauma intensive care
• Pharmacists seeking a comprehensive refresher in critical care therapeutics

The course is also appropriate for practitioners seeking structured review of the major disease states and medication-management challenges encountered in critically ill patients.

Program Overview

Critical care pharmacy requires pharmacists to make complex pharmacotherapy decisions in patients with rapidly changing physiology, organ dysfunction, hemodynamic instability, mechanical ventilation, severe infections, neurologic emergencies, cardiovascular instability, and multiple simultaneous medications.

The ACCP/ASHP Critical Care Pharmacy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course 2025 uses a case-based approach to develop clinical reasoning and decision-making rather than relying solely on memorization.

The official curriculum consists of five major modules:

1. Professional Practice, Research, Fluids/Electrolytes, Nutrition, and Quality Improvement
2. Medication Safety, Infectious Diseases, and Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics
3. Renal, Neurocritical, and Cardiovascular Critical Care
4. Hepatic/GI/Endocrine Emergencies, Supportive Care, and Shock
5. PADIS, Pulmonary Disorders, and Toxicology

Across these modules, learners review both clinical therapeutics and professional practice topics relevant to BCCCP examination preparation and everyday ICU pharmacy practice.

Official Course Modules

Module 1 – Professional Practice, Research, Fluids/Electrolytes, Nutrition, and Quality Improvement

Evolution and Validation of Practice Standards, Training, and Professional Development

Reviews the development of critical care pharmacy as a specialty and the professional standards expected of pharmacists practicing in the ICU.

Topics include:

• Evolution of critical care pharmacy
• Specialty practice standards
• Credentialing
• Critical care pharmacy training
• Mentorship
• Team-based care
• Professional development
• Lifelong learning
• Clinical pharmacy practice in the ICU

Research Design, Biostatistics, and Literature Evaluation

Focuses on the ability to interpret research and apply clinical evidence to critically ill patients.

Topics include:

• Research methodology
• Clinical trial design
• Biostatistics
• Literature evaluation
• Interpretation of critical care studies
• Evidence-based medicine
• Statistical tests
• Applying clinical evidence to patient care

Fluids, Electrolytes, Acid-Base Disorders, and Nutrition Support

Reviews the management of common metabolic and nutritional problems in critically ill patients.

Topics include:

• Fluid requirements
• Volume assessment
• Sodium disorders
• Potassium disorders
• Magnesium abnormalities
• Phosphate abnormalities
• Acid-base disorders
• Enteral nutrition
• Parenteral nutrition
• Protein and caloric requirements
• Nutrition monitoring

Protocol Development and Quality Improvement

Examines pharmacist involvement in ICU practice development and medication-use improvement.

Topics include:

• Clinical guidelines
• Protocol development
• Medication-use evaluation
• Quality improvement
• Gap analysis
• Pharmacy interventions
• Documentation
• ICU process improvement

Module 2 – Medication Safety, Infectious Diseases, and Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacoeconomics and Safe Medication Use

Reviews medication safety and resource utilization in critical care.

Topics include:

• Pharmacoeconomics
• Medication errors
• Adverse drug events
• Adverse drug reactions
• Medication safety systems
• Drug interaction prevention
• ICU medication-use guidelines
• Formulary management
• Cost-effective pharmacotherapy

Infectious Diseases I

Focuses on major severe infectious diseases commonly encountered in the ICU.

Topics include:

• Ventilator-associated pneumonia
• Severe community-acquired pneumonia
• Intra-abdominal infections
• Severe Clostridioides difficile infection
• Bacterial meningitis
• Healthcare-associated meningitis
• Severe influenza
• Severe viral respiratory infections
• Empiric antimicrobial therapy
• Definitive antimicrobial treatment

Infectious Diseases II

Expands into healthcare-associated and resistant infections.

Topics include:

• Central line-associated bloodstream infections
• Catheter-associated urinary tract infections
• Postoperative wound infections
• Severe skin infections
• Multidrug-resistant organisms
• Antimicrobial stewardship
• Rapid diagnostic testing
• Biomarkers
• Infections in immunocompromised patients
• Infection prevention strategies

Pharmacokinetics / Pharmacodynamics

Reviews how critical illness alters medication disposition and response.

Topics include:

• Drug absorption in critical illness
• Volume of distribution
• Protein binding
• Hepatic drug metabolism
• Organ dysfunction
• Pharmacokinetic variability
• Pharmacodynamic targets
• Drug dosing in critical illness
• Therapeutic drug monitoring

Module 3 – Renal, Neurocritical, and Cardiovascular Critical Care

Acute Kidney Injury and Kidney Replacement Therapy in the Critically Ill Patient

Reviews the recognition and management of renal dysfunction in ICU patients.

Topics include:

• Acute kidney injury
• Drug-induced kidney injury
• Renal function assessment
• Continuous kidney replacement therapy
• CRRT
• Drug dosing during KRT
• Sieving coefficients
• Saturation coefficients
• Extracorporeal drug clearance

Neurocritical Care

Focuses on pharmacotherapy in patients with severe neurologic illness or injury.

Topics include:

• Neurologic emergencies
• Intracranial pressure management
• Neurocritical monitoring
• Sedation considerations
• Seizure management
• Cerebral perfusion
• Brain injury pharmacotherapy
• Drug interactions in neurocritical patients
• Monitoring therapeutic outcomes

Cardiovascular Critical Care I

Reviews pharmacotherapy for critically ill patients with acute cardiovascular disease.

Topics include:

• Hemodynamic monitoring
• Cardiogenic shock
• Acute coronary syndromes
• Heart failure
• Cardiac arrhythmias
• Valvular disease
• Mechanical circulatory support
• Advanced heart failure
• Heart transplantation considerations
• Vasoactive medications

Cardiovascular Critical Care II

Focuses on cardiac arrest, hypertensive emergencies, and post-resuscitation care.

Topics include:

• Basic and advanced cardiac life support
• Cardiac arrest pharmacotherapy
• Post-cardiac arrest care
• Temperature control
• Post-arrest complications
• Hypertensive emergency
• Acute cardiovascular stabilization

Module 4 – Hepatic/GI/Endocrine Emergencies, Supportive Care, and Shock

Hepatic Failure, GI, and Endocrine Emergencies

Reviews major hepatic, gastrointestinal, and endocrine emergencies encountered in critically ill patients.

Topics include:

• Acute liver failure
• Complications of liver failure
• Acute pancreatitis
• GI fistulas
• Postoperative ileus
• Postoperative nausea and vomiting
• Acute upper GI bleeding
• Endocrine emergencies
• Metabolic crises

Supportive and Preventive Medicine

Reviews ICU interventions that reduce preventable complications.

Topics include:

• Stress ulcer prophylaxis
• Venous thromboembolism prevention
• Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
• End-of-life symptom management
• Preventive ICU pharmacotherapy
• Disaster response
• Social determinants of health
• Supportive care

Shock Syndromes I – Introduction, Vasodilatory Shock, and Sepsis

Focuses on recognition and treatment of distributive shock and septic shock.

Topics include:

• Hemodynamic assessment
• Shock classification
• Vasodilatory shock
• Septic shock
• Intravenous fluids
• Vasopressors
• Perfusion monitoring
• Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommendations
• Resuscitation strategies

Shock Syndromes II – Hypovolemic, Critical Bleeding, and Obstructive Shock

Reviews pharmacologic and resuscitation strategies for non-septic shock states.

Topics include:

• Hypovolemic shock
• Hemorrhagic shock
• Obstructive shock
• Critical bleeding
• Acute coagulopathy
• Anticoagulant reversal
• Antiplatelet reversal
• Massive bleeding pharmacotherapy
• Pulmonary embolism
• Thrombolytic therapy
• Oxygen delivery

Module 5 – PADIS, Pulmonary Disorders, and Toxicology

Pain, Agitation/Sedation, Delirium, Immobility, Sleep Disruption, and Neuromuscular Blockade

Reviews the pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic management of PADIS-related problems in ICU patients.

Topics include:

• Pain management
• Sedation
• Agitation
• Delirium
• Immobility
• Sleep disruption
• ICU assessment tools
• Drug withdrawal
• Adverse medication effects
• Neuromuscular blockade
• Post-intensive care effects
• Long-term effects of critical illness

Pulmonary Disorders I

Focuses on common respiratory emergencies and mechanical respiratory support in critically ill patients.

Topics may include:

• Acute respiratory failure
• Mechanical ventilation
• Oxygenation
• Ventilator management
• ARDS
• Pharmacotherapy for pulmonary disease
• Respiratory monitoring

Pulmonary Disorders II

Provides further review of pulmonary critical care topics and complex respiratory disease management.

Areas include:

• Severe pulmonary disease
• Advanced ventilatory support
• ICU respiratory pharmacotherapy
• Pulmonary complications
• Respiratory treatment monitoring

Toxicology

Reviews the recognition and pharmacologic management of toxic exposures and overdoses.

Topics include:

• Poisoning
• Drug overdose
• Toxidromes
• Antidotes
• Decontamination
• Supportive toxicology care
• Toxic drug concentrations
• Emergency pharmacotherapy
• Enhanced elimination techniques

Case-Based Learning Approach

A major feature of the ACCP/ASHP Critical Care Pharmacy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course 2025 is its emphasis on case-based clinical reasoning.

The official workbook contains:

• Over 200 patient cases with explained answers
• Over 200 self-assessment questions with explained answers
• Current references associated with each chapter
• Application-based learning activities
• A comprehensive practice examination

These clinical cases require learners to integrate:

• Patient history
• Organ function
• Hemodynamic data
• Laboratory values
• Medication therapy
• Drug dosing
• Drug interactions
• Evidence-based guidelines
• Treatment goals
• Monitoring plans

This structure helps bridge examination preparation with real-world critical care pharmacy practice.

Major Topics Covered

• Critical Care Pharmacy
• BCCCP Board Review
• Intensive Care Pharmacotherapy
• ICU Pharmacy
• Sepsis
• Septic Shock
• Shock Syndromes
• Vasopressors
• Hemodynamic Monitoring
• Fluid Resuscitation
• Cardiogenic Shock
• Hypovolemic Shock
• Hemorrhagic Shock
• Obstructive Shock
• Critical Bleeding
• Acute Kidney Injury
• Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy
• CRRT
• Kidney Replacement Therapy
• Neurocritical Care
• Intracranial Pressure
• Cardiovascular Critical Care
• Cardiac Arrest
• Post-Cardiac Arrest Care
• Hypertensive Emergency
• Acute Coronary Syndrome
• Heart Failure
• Arrhythmias
• Mechanical Circulatory Support
• Pulmonary Critical Care
• Acute Respiratory Failure
• Mechanical Ventilation
• ARDS
• Critical Care Infectious Diseases
• Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia
• Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia
• Meningitis
• C. difficile Infection
• Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection
• Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Multidrug-Resistant Organisms
• Pharmacokinetics
• Pharmacodynamics
• Drug Dosing in Critical Illness
• Acute Liver Failure
• Acute Pancreatitis
• GI Bleeding
• Endocrine Emergencies
• Pain Management
• ICU Sedation
• Delirium
• PADIS
• Neuromuscular Blockade
• Nutrition Support
• Electrolyte Disorders
• Acid-Base Disorders
• Toxicology
• Medication Safety
• Evidence-Based Medicine
• Biostatistics
• Quality Improvement
• Critical Care Practice Standards

Board Certification Preparation

The course is specifically designed to support pharmacists preparing for the BPS Critical Care Pharmacy Specialty Certification Examination.

It provides:

• Comprehensive review of BCCCP knowledge domains
• Application-based clinical cases
• Disease-state review
• Pharmacotherapeutic reasoning
• Self-assessment questions
• Explained answers
• Literature references
• Practice examination
• Evidence-based critical care review

The course is also suitable for experienced pharmacists who want a structured refresher in intensive care pharmacotherapy.

Official Continuing Education and Recertification

The official 2025 ACCP/ASHP course provides:

• 22.25 hours of Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE)
• Up to 22.25 hours of BCCCP recertification credit through the official recertification package

The official course was released on September 17, 2025.

• BCCCP Recertification Deadline: September 15, 2026
• ACPE Deadline: September 17, 2028

The course contains 5 application-based activities covering 20 topics.

Important: Official CPE and BCCCP recertification credit require participation through the authorized ACCP/ASHP educational platform and completion of the required assessments. Access to self-study media files alone does not provide official certification or recertification credit.

Course Media

The MedicalAmboss package is provided as a self-study collection containing:

• 20 MP4 video recordings
• 20 MP3 audio files
• 43 PDF files / slide and study materials

This allows learners to study through multiple formats:

• Watch recorded lectures
• Listen to audio lectures
• Review PDF slides and written materials
• Revisit topics at their own pace
• Combine visual and audio study methods

The indexed product listing for this 2025 collection reports 20 MP4 + 20 MP3 + 43 PDF files.

Why This Course Is Relevant

The ACCP/ASHP Critical Care Pharmacy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course 2025 is particularly useful because critical care pharmacy requires rapid integration of pharmacology, physiology, monitoring, organ dysfunction, and evidence-based therapeutic decision-making.

The course is valuable for pharmacists seeking education in:

• BCCCP examination preparation
• ICU pharmacotherapy
• Sepsis and septic shock
• Hemodynamic management
• Vasopressor therapy
• Mechanical ventilation
• Acute respiratory failure
• Cardiovascular emergencies
• Neurocritical care
• Acute kidney injury
• CRRT and medication dosing
• Severe infections
• Antimicrobial stewardship
• Sedation and delirium
• PADIS
• Toxicology
• Acute liver failure
• GI emergencies
• Nutrition support
• Electrolyte disorders
• Evidence-based medicine
• Medication safety
• Quality improvement
• Professional critical care pharmacy practice

Its five-module structure provides both broad specialty coverage and focused review of the therapeutic areas most relevant to critical care pharmacy practice.

Short Description

ACCP/ASHP Critical Care Pharmacy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course 2025 provides a comprehensive case-based review of critical care pharmacotherapy for BCCCP board preparation and professional review. The curriculum covers sepsis, shock, infectious diseases, AKI and CRRT, neurocritical care, cardiovascular critical care, pulmonary disorders, mechanical ventilation, hepatic and endocrine emergencies, PADIS, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, nutrition, medication safety, and evidence-based critical care.

The MedicalAmboss package includes 20 videos, 20 audio files, and 43 PDF/slide materials for flexible self-paced study.

+ Topics:

• 01 Critical Care Pharmacy Practice – Professional Standards, Training, Credentialing, Team-Based Care, and Specialty Development
• 02 Research Design and Biostatistics – Evidence Appraisal, Literature Evaluation, Statistical Interpretation, and Critical Care Research
• 03 Fluids, Electrolytes, and Acid-Base Disorders – Assessment and Management of Complex ICU Metabolic Abnormalities
• 04 Critical Care Nutrition Support – Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition, Caloric Requirements, Protein Needs, and Monitoring
• 05 Protocol Development and Quality Improvement – Medication-Use Evaluation, ICU Guidelines, Gap Analysis, and Clinical Pharmacy Outcomes
• 06 Medication Safety and Pharmacoeconomics – Adverse Drug Events, Drug Interactions, Safe Medication Use, and Cost-Effective ICU Therapy
• 07 Critical Care Infectious Diseases I – Ventilator Pneumonia, Severe CAP, Intra-Abdominal Infection, C. difficile, Meningitis, and Severe Viral Infection
• 08 Critical Care Infectious Diseases II – CLABSI, CAUTI, Surgical Infections, Multidrug Resistance, Immunocompromised Hosts, and Antimicrobial Stewardship
• 09 Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics in Critical Illness – Altered Drug Distribution, Metabolism, Clearance, and Therapeutic Targets
• 10 Acute Kidney Injury and CRRT – Renal Dysfunction, Continuous Kidney Replacement Therapy, and Drug Dosing During Extracorporeal Clearance
• 11 Neurocritical Care Pharmacotherapy – Neurologic Emergencies, Monitoring, Brain Injury, Therapeutic Goals, and Medication Management
• 12 Cardiovascular Critical Care I – Cardiogenic Shock, Acute Coronary Disease, Heart Failure, Arrhythmias, and Mechanical Circulatory Support
• 13 Cardiovascular Critical Care II – Cardiac Arrest, Post-Arrest Care, Temperature Control, and Hypertensive Emergencies
• 14 Hepatic, GI, and Endocrine Emergencies – Acute Liver Failure, Pancreatitis, GI Bleeding, Ileus, and Metabolic Emergencies
• 15 Supportive and Preventive Critical Care – Stress Ulcer Prevention, VTE Prophylaxis, HIT, End-of-Life Care, and ICU Supportive Therapy
• 16 Septic and Vasodilatory Shock – Hemodynamic Assessment, Fluid Resuscitation, Vasopressors, Sepsis, and Perfusion Monitoring
• 17 Hypovolemic, Hemorrhagic, and Obstructive Shock – Critical Bleeding, Coagulopathy, Reversal Strategies, Pulmonary Embolism, and Resuscitation
• 18 PADIS and Neuromuscular Blockade – Pain, Sedation, Delirium, Immobility, Sleep Disruption, Withdrawal, and Paralytic Therapy
• 19 Pulmonary Critical Care – Acute Respiratory Failure, Mechanical Ventilation, ARDS, Respiratory Pharmacotherapy, and ICU Pulmonary Management
• 20 Toxicology in Critical Care – Poisoning, Drug Overdose, Antidotes, Decontamination, Supportive Therapy, and Enhanced Elimination
• 21 Sepsis Pharmacotherapy – Evidence-Based Antimicrobial Therapy, Vasopressors, Fluids, and Organ Support in Septic Shock
• 22 Mechanical Ventilation Pharmacotherapy – Sedation, Analgesia, Neuromuscular Blockade, and Medication Considerations in Ventilated Patients
• 23 Drug Dosing in Organ Dysfunction – Pharmacokinetic Adjustment in Renal, Hepatic, and Multiorgan Failure
• 24 ICU Medication Safety – Preventing Errors, Adverse Drug Events, Drug Interactions, and High-Risk Medication Complications
• 25 BCCCP Board Examination Preparation – Case-Based Clinical Reasoning, Self-Assessment, Practice Questions, and Critical Care Pharmacy Review