CACP Exam Eligibility


To be eligible to take the certification examination, applicants must meet and provide documentation of professional qualification and professional experience as outlined below.


Professional Qualification

To be eligible, the candidate must hold his/her professional license for a minimum of 2 years prior to the application deadline and must provide a copy of a current United States (or territories) license, registration, or certification as a:

Registered Nurse (RN), Advance Practice Nurse (NP), registered or licensed pharmacist (BS pharmacy or Pharm.D.), licensed physician (MD), or physician assistant (PA)

The list above is exhaustive. An applicant MUST hold at least one of the professional licenses listed above to be eligible to sit for the CACP exam.

Professional Experience

The applicant must provide documentation of a minimum of 750 hours of active anticoagulation patient management in the 18 months immediately preceding the application deadline. Such documentation will be provided as follows:

  1. When completing the online application, the applicant must attest to having provided a minimum of 750 hours of active anticoagulation patient management. This experience must have been accrued within the 18 months immediately preceding the application deadline.
  2. The applicant must provide a written description of current activities pertaining to anticoagulation therapy management. The written description should be 500 words or fewer and should describe the applicant’s general practice and experience specifically in antithrombotic therapy management. Duration and types of activities should be described, including number of patients, practice setting, management of clinic, the applicant’s roles and responsibilities, and co-workers, etc. Paragraph format should be used; a resume or curriculum vitae will not suffice.
  3. The applicant must provide a work email address (i.e. no hotmail, gmail, etc.) for his/her direct supervisor so that information provided by the applicant can be verified.


Some examples of experiences, which will NOT be counted toward the professional experience requirement include:

  • Providing continuing education credit awarded to professionals, or receipt of professional continuing education credit
  • General medical, nursing, or pharmacy practice
  • Conducting/participating in research activities in which the candidate is NOT involved in direct anticoagulation education and patient management
  • Dispensing/prescribing antithrombotic medications or related equipment
  • Supervising and managing other professionals
  • Membership and committee work in professional organizations
  • Any work or experience prior to receipt of license, registration or advanced degree
  • Hours of anticoagulation care provided during postgraduate training programs (example: pharmacy or medical residents) cannot be counted towards the 750 hours