AMERICAN BOARD OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES

CLINICAL PHARMACY

Domain 1: Patient Care and Therapeutics (about 50% of the exam):

  • Pathophysiology and epidemiology of infections including: Bone and joint infections - Cardiovascular infections - Central nervous system infections - Gastrointestinal infections - HIV-infection and AIDS (including opportunistic infections) - Infections of reproductive organs - Intra-abdominal infections - Lower respiratory tract infections - Ophthalmologic infections - Sepsis - Sexually transmitted diseases - Skin and soft tissue infections - Tuberculosis and other mycobacterial infections - Upper respiratory tract infections - Urinary tract infections -Viral hepatitis
  • Pharmacotherapies related to specific infectious diseases (e.g., bacterial, fungal, viral)
  • Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antimicrobials (e.g. antifungals)
  • Pharmacology of antimicrobials
  • Pharmacology of vaccines
  • Pharmacology of biological response modifiers (e.g., TNF inhibitors, colony-stimulating factors) Mechanisms of pathogen resistance
  • Antimicrobial drug interactions
  • Complications of antimicrobials
  • Complications of vaccines
  • Spectrum of activity of antimicrobials
  • Structure and characteristics of pathogenic microorganisms
  • Basic microbiology laboratory procedures
  • Clinical laboratory tests in ID (e.g., rapid diagnostic testing, RPR, antibody concentrations)
  • Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in ID (e.g., lumbar puncture, paracentesis)
  • Factors that alter the risk of infection
  • Immunologic response to infection
  • Immunologic therapy (e.g., immunoglobulin, Mannose Binding Lectin)
  • Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy
  • Therapeutic monitoring of antimicrobials
  • Factors that may impact response to therapy (e.g., dose optimization, penetration of antimicrobials, source control, immune status)
  • Antimicrobial de-escalation
  • Measures to monitor response to antimicrobial therapy (e.g., resolution of signs and symptoms, laboratory data, readmission, development of drug resistance)
  • Patient and caregiver education and counseling techniques
  • Antimicrobial allergy and cross-reactivity
  • Antimicrobial desensitization
  • Preventive therapies (e.g., infection prophylaxis, vaccines, behavior modification)
  • Factors to consider when differentiating infection from non-infection
  • Considerations in special populations (e.g., geriatrics, pediatrics, obesity)
  • Facilitation across transitions of care
  • Considerations in drug delivery


Domain 2: Education, Research and Scholarship (about 20% of the exam):

  • Principles and methods of educating, training and mentoring pharmacists, pharmacy students, residents, and fellows.
  • Principles and methods of educating and communicating with other healthcare professionals
  • Appropriate resources for infectious disease information
  • Research study design and methodology, including those specific to ID (e.g., Monte Carlo simulation, microbiologic surveillance, time-kill)
  • Statistical methods
  • Clinical application and limitations of published data and reports
  • Regulatory and ethical issues related to conducting research
  • Venues and processes for disseminating knowledge (e.g., audience-specific medical writing, publication, presentation)
  • Mechanisms for continuing professional development in ID pharmacy
     

Domain 3: Antimicrobial Stewardship and Practice Management (about 25% of the exam):

  • Antibiogram design and development
  • Antimicrobial stewardship strategies
  • Antimicrobial resistance trends
  • Metrics for antimicrobial use
  • Clinical practice guidelines for ID (e.g., IDSA, SHEA, CDC)
  • Methods for developing and evaluating clinical practice guidelines
  • Infection control and prevention strategies
  • Metrics for infection control
  • National accreditation and regulatory organizations and requirements (e.g., Joint Commission, CMS, NHSN)
  • Quality improvement strategies (e.g., MUE, FMEA, root cause analysis)
  • Roles of infection control and prevention, microbiology and ID divisions/departments
  • Collaboration strategies and consensus building
  • Metrics for evaluating value of ID pharmacy services
  • Pharmacoeconomic assessment of antimicrobials

 

Domain 4: Public Health and Advocacy (about 5% of the exam)

  • Public health information resources related to infectious diseases
  • Public health services related to infectious diseases
  • CDC notifiable infectious diseases
  • Populations at risk for infection
  • ACIP immunization recommendations and schedules
  • Strategies for advocating vaccination and prudent antimicrobial use
  • Professional organizations and their roles and resources related to patient advocacy (e.g., Immunization Action Coalition, IDSA, ASHP, APhA, SIDP)
  • Screening guidelines for infectious diseases (e.g. HIV, STDs, tuberculosis)
  • Agents that have the potential to become epidemic or pandemic
  • Emerging infectious diseases
  • History of vaccine-preventable diseases