NABP will begin accepting registrations for the September 27, 2011 FPGEE on June 20,

2011. September 8 is the last day to register for the FPGEE.

FPGEE Blueprint
The FPGEE Competency Statements serve as a blueprint of the topics covered on the
examination. They offer important information about the knowledge, judgment, and skills you
are expected to demonstrate while taking the FPGEE. A strong understanding of the Competency
Statements will aid you in your preparation to take the examination.
 

Area 1 - Basic Biomedical Sciences - 21%

A. Anatomy & Physiology

 1. structure and function of major body systems; integumentary, muscular skeletal,

cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, nervous, endocrine, urinary,
reproductive and body fluid and electrolytes
 2. molecular aspects of cell biology
 3. cell physiology and cellular structure and organization

B. Pathology/Pathophysiology

 1. basic principles and mechanisms of disease including:

o a. inflammation and repair
o b. degeneration
o c. disturbances and hemodynamics
o d. developmental defects
o e. neoplasia
 2. pathophysiology of disease states amenable to pharmacist intervention

C. Microbiology

 1. general principles of microbial concepts

 2. principles of infectious disease
 3. host-parasite relationships
 4. pathogenic micro-organisms of man
 5. inflammatory responses to infectious agents
 6. clinical aspects of infection

D. Immunology

 1. human immunity and immune responses

 2. principles of antigen-antibody relationships
 3. molecular biology of immune responses
  4. genetic basis for antibody synthesis, development, function and immunopathology

E. Biochemistry/Biotechnology

 1. chemistry of biomacromolecules (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and DNA)

 2. enzymology and co-enzymes and kinetics
 3. metabolic pathways to energy utilization
 4. nucleic acid metabolism including DNA replication and repair, RNA and protein
synthesis
 5. recombinant DNA technology

F. Molecular Biology/Genetics

 1. cell structure and components

 2. ion channels and receptor physiology
 3. mitosis and meiosis
 4. chromosomes and DNA
 5. gene transcription and translation processes
 6. recombinant DNA technology

G. Biostatistics

 1. understanding commonly used statistical tests and their basis

 2. management of data sets
 3. evaluation of statistical results
 4. understanding of statistical versus clinical significance

Area 2 - Pharmaceutical Sciences – 29%

A. Medicinal Chemistry

 1. physio-chemical properties of drug molecules in relation to drug absorption,

distribution, metabolism, and excretion(ADME)
 2. chemical basis and pharmacology and therapeutics
 3. fundamental pharmacophores for drugs used to treat disease
 4. structure activity relationships in relation to drug-target interactions
 5. chemical pathways of drug metabolism
 6. application to making drug therapy decisions

B. Pharmacology

 1. mechanism of action of drugs of various categories

 2. role of pharmacology in drug choice and the treatment of disease
 3. pharmacodynamics of drug action and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and
elimination
  4. adverse effects and side-effects of drugs
 5. drug-target interactions
 6. drug-drug, drug-food, drug-lab test interactions
 7. drug discovery and development

C. Pharmacognosy and Alternative and Complementory Treatments

 1. concepts of crude drugs, semi-purified, and purified natural products

 2. variability of occurrence of pharmacologically active substances in plants and impact
on regulatory aspects of herbal products
 3. overview of classes of pharmacologically active natural products
 4. dietary supplements (vitamins, minerals, and herbals)
 5. alternative medical treatments
 6. evaluation of alternative and complementary medicine purity, bioavailability, safety,
and efficacy
 7. herbal-drug interactions
 8. Dietary Health Supplement and Education Act and impact on regulation of dietary
supplements and herbal products

D. Toxicology

 1. mechanism of toxicity and toxicokinetics

 2. acute and chronic toxic effect of xenobiotics on the body including drug or chemical
overdose and toxic signs of drugs of abuse
 3. interpretation of drug screens
 4. antidotes and approaches to toxic exposures
 5. functions of poison control centers
 6. bioterrorism and disaster preparedness and management

E. Bioanalysis/Clinical Chemistry

 1. fundamentals of laboratory medicine and its importance to screening, diagnosis, and

evaluation of patients
 2. clinical data relevant to disease state management

F. Pharmaceutics/Biopharmaceutics

 1. physical-chemical principles of dosage forms

 2. biological principles of dosage forms
 3. principles of drug delivery via dosage forms (eg, liquid, solid, semi-solid, controlled
release, patches, and implants)
 4. principles of dosage form stability and drug degradation in dosage forms
 5. materials and methods used in preparation and use of drug forms

G. Pharmacokinetics/Clinical Pharmacokinetics
  1. basic principles of in vivo drug kinetics (linear and nonlinear)
 2. principles of bioavailability/bioequivalence
 3. physiologic determinates of drug onset and duration
 4. drug, disease, and dietary influences on absorption, distribution, metabolism, and
excretion
 5. clinical pharmacokinetics of commonly used and low-therapeutic-index drugs
 6. the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic interface

H. Pharmacogenomics/Genetics

 1. genetic basis for disease and drug action

 2. genetic basis for alteration and drug metabolism
 3. genome and proteomic principles in relation to disease and drug development
 4. genetic basis for individualizing drug doses

I. Extemporaneous Compounding/Parenteral/Enteral

 1. United States Pharmacopeia guidance on compounding and FDA Compliance Policy

Guidelines
 2. techniques and principles used to prepare and dispense individual extemporaneous
prescriptions including dating of compounded dosage forms
 3. liquid (parenteral, enteral), solid, semi-solid, and topical preparations
 4. dosage form preparation calculations
 5. sterile admixture techniques
o a. United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Chapter 797
o b. stability and sterility testing and dating
o c. clean room requirements
o d. infusion devices and catheters

Area 3 - Social/Behavioral/Administrative Pharmacy Sciences – 15%

A. Healthcare Delivery Systems

 1. introduction to United States, state, and local health care delivery systems and their
interfaces
 2. social, political, and economic factors of the US health care delivery system
 3. principles that influence the distribution of pharmaceutical products and services
 4. role of public and private insurers, pharmaceutical industry, and managed care on
health care delivery in the United States
 5. Medicare and Medicaid
 6. Indigent care programs
 7. incidence of and problems associated with drug overuse, underuse, and misuse in the
US health care system

B. Economics/Pharmacoeconomics
  1. economic principles in relation to pharmacoeconomic analysis
 2. concepts of pharmacoeconomics in relation to patient care
 3. applications of economic theories and health-related quality-of-life concepts to
improve allocation of limited health care resources

C. Practice Management

 1. management principles (planning, organizing, directing, and controlling pharmacy

resources) applied to various pharmacy practice setting and patient outcomes
 2. management of staff within the practice setting including pharmacists, technicians, and
other supportive personnel
 3. principles of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling pharmacy resources
 4. tools, including informatics, needed to assess and address change, increase
competitiveness, improve quality, and optimize patient services
 5. management of medication use safety systems
 6. strategies to improve continuity of patient care as patients move between health care
settings
 7. marketing principles
 8. basic accounting principles
 9. infection control
 10. project management
 11. managing and improving the medication-use process
 12. third party administration and managed care systems
 13. health care improvement mechanisms at the micro- and macro-system levels

D. Pharmacoepidemiology

 1. application of principles of epidemiology to the study of drug use and outcomes in

large populations
 2. studies that provide an estimate of the probability of beneficial effects in populations,
or the probability of adverse effects in populations, and other parameters relating to drug
use may benefit
 3. methods for continual monitoring for unwanted effects and other safety-related aspects
of drugs

E. Pharmacy Law and Regulatory Affairs

 1. legal basis for pharmacy practice

 2. pharmacist's responsibilities and limits under the law
 3. pharmacist's role in reducing liability by reducing drug-related misadventure
 4. civil versus criminal liability
 5. business contract law

F. History of Pharmacy
  1. overview of the evolution of pharmacy as a distinct profession
 2. moving from focus on the drug to focus on the patient and the drug, including clinical,
pharmaceutical care and other aspects of patient-provided pharmacist care
 3. major milestones and contributors in the evolution of pharmacy

G. Ethics

 1. principles of professional behavior

 2. ethical issues related to the development, promotion, sales, prescription, and use of
drugs
 3. dealing with ethical dilemmas
 4. conflict of interest
 5. ethical issues in delivery of patient-centered care and clinical research
 6. principles of end-of-life care
 7. ethical issues in teamwork

H. Professional Communications

 1. effective verbal and written interpersonal communication

 2. health literacy
 3. communicating with diverse patients, families, pharmacists, and other health
professionals in a variety of settings both individually and as a member of a team
 4. interviewing techniques
 5. active listening and empathy
 6. assertiveness and problem-solving techniques
 7. cultural influences on communication of health information
 8. group presentation skills
 9. strategies for handling difficult situations
 10. documentation of pharmacist recommendations and consultations
 11. principles of behavior modification

I. Social and Behavioral Aspects of Practice

 1. pharmacy as a patient-centered profession

 2. patient and other health care providers perceptions of pharmacists' capabilities
 3. role of pharmacist related to patient care
 4. role of pharmacist related to interaction with other health care professionals
 5. development of leadership skills
 6. importance of involvement in pharmacy organizational, regulatory, state, and federal
issues

Area 4 - Clinical Sciences – 35%

A. Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacist-Provided Care
  1. overview of the pharmacy profession
 2. issues of contemporary practice
 3. emerging and unique roles for the pharmacist on the health care team
 4. concepts of pharmacist-provided patient care and medication therapy management
services
 5. principles of pharmacist-managed, patient-centered pharmacy services
 6. methods of outcome monitoring and assessment techniques
 7. problem identification (eg, duplication, dosage, drug interactions, adverse drug
reactions and interactions, frequency, dosage form, indication mismatches) and resolution
 8. role of pharmacy care plans in patient care
 9. monitoring for positive and negative drug therapy outcomes
 10. principles of clinical management of drug toxicity and overdosage
 11. home diagnostic devices

B. Medication Dispensing and Distribution Systems

 1. preparation and dispensing of prescriptions

 2. development and maintenance of patient medication profiles
 3. identification and prevention of medication errors
 4. identification and prevention of drug toxicity
 5. issues of distribution systems associated with all types of practice settings
 6. role of automation and technology in workload efficiency and patient safety
 7. assurance of safety in the medication-use process
 8. medication error reduction programs
 9. continuous quality improvement programs

C. Pharmacotherapy - Practice Guidelines and Clinical Trials

 1. principles of clinical practice guidelines for various disease states and their
interpretation in the clinical setting
 2. integration of core scientific and systems-based knowledge in patient care decisions
 3. reinforcement of basic science principles relative to drug treatment protocols and
clinical practice guidelines
 4. evaluation of clinical trials that validate treatment usefulness

D. Pharmacotherapy - Health Promotion/Disease Prevention

 1. promotion of wellness and nonpharmacologic therapies

 2. disease prevention and monitoring

E. Pharmacotherapy - Pharmaceutical Care

 1. application of evidence-based decision making to patient care

 2. drug monitoring for positive and negative outcomes
 3. diagnostic tests in the diagnosis, staging, and monitoring of various disease states
  4. concepts of pain management and palliative care
 5. nonprescription drug therapies
 6. dietary drug therapies
 7. designing of patient-centered, culturally relevant treatment plans
 8. drug-induced disease

F. Pharmacist-provided care for Special Populations

 1. pathophysiologic and pharmacotherapy alterations specific for special population

patients (eg, pediatric, geriatric, pregnant, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, celiac
disease, genetic disorders, and others) for prescription and nonprescription medications
 2. dosage calculation and adjustment in special-population patients
 3. drug monitoring for positive/negative outcomes in special-population patients

G. Drug Information

 1. fundamentals of the practice of drug information

 2. application of drug information skills for delivery of pharmaceutical care
 3. technology of drug information retrieval for quality assurance
 4. the ability to judge the reliability of various sources of information

H. Medication Safety

 1. causes of medication errors/systems approaches

 2. human factors in errors
 3. strategies for reducing errors
 4. pharmacy leadership in medication safety

I. Literature Evaluation and Research Design

 1. fundamentals of research design and methodology

 2. principles of evaluation of the primary literature
 3. practical implications of the primary literature
 4. principles of research design and analysis in practicing evidence based pharmacy

J. Patient Assessment Laboratory

 1. obtaining a comprehensive patient history

 2. familiarity with basic assessment techniques (inspection, palpation, percussion,
auscultation), terminology, and the modifications caused by common disease states and
drug therapy
 3. triage and referral skills
 4. knowledge of therapeutic drug concentrations and their interpretation
 5. knowledge of the basis for common clinical laboratory values and diagnostic tests and
the influences of common disease states
 6. false positive and false negative results
 7. OTC point-of-care testing devices (eg, glucometers, pregnancy tests, home testing for
HbA1c, drug screening)
 8. principles of electrocardiography and common EKG abnormalities
 9. advanced cardiac life support