Background/Case Studies: The Certified Advanced Biotherapy Professional (CABP) certification is among one of the few credentials in the field of cellular therapy that recognizes pharmacists as eligible candidates. This presents a valuable opportunity for pharmacists to establish a role in the rapidly evolving cellular therapy landscape. This study aims to assess whether pharmacy graduates are adequately prepared to meet this challenge. Additionally, it examines which domains of the CABP certification syllabus are currently addressed in pharmacy education and which areas remain underrepresented.
Study
Design/Methods: A total of ten universities were selected through an online search, with the inclusion criteria being the availability of a pharmacy curriculum (Bachelor or PharmD) updated between 2020 to 2026. Selection considered both geographical distribution and ranking diversity to ensure broad international representation. The domains and subdomains outlined in the CABP exam syllabus were used to develop a standardized data extraction template. Two independent reviewers assessed each university's curriculum to determine the extent of coverage for each CABP domain. Each subdomain was scored using the following scale: 2 points if explicitly mentioned in the curriculum, 1 point if vaguely mentioned, and 0 points if not mentioned at all. Domain coverage was presented as a percentage, calculated by dividing the total score across all subdomains for all universities by the maximum possible score: (Number of subdomains × 10 universities × 2 maximum points per subdomain). Each university’s total score reflected the sum of its subdomain scores.
Results/Findings: The analysis showed that the domain Biotherapies in the Patient Care Ecosystem was the most thoroughly covered across all university curricula, as all universities curriculum included competencies related to patient care, treatment protocols and patient follow up. In contrast, the domains of Manufacturing, Operations and Equipment, and Quality were the least addressed. University total scores varied between 35 (25%) and 134 (97%), maximum score 138.
Conclusions: Pharmacy is a broad and diverse profession, encompassing roles in industrial manufacturing, clinical and hospital settings, and community practice. This wide scope has contributed to significant variability in pharmacy curricula, with some colleges emphasizing clinical practice and others focusing more on pharmaceutics and industrial applications. Hence, not all pharmacy graduates are equally prepared to pursue the CABP credential. To address this gap, it is time for pharmacy colleges to adopt distinct certification or specialization tracks within pharmacy education—similar to the models used in medicine and engineering. In particular, establishing a dedicated Bachelor’s program in industrial pharmacy which would produce well-qualified graduates equipped for frontline roles in biotherapeutics and cellular therapy.
