Evaluation of a Mentorship Programme for  New Pharmacy Registrants 

Introduction:
Newly-registered pharmacists face immediate professional expectations, while simultaneously losing university and preceptor support. This can result in reduced confidence and increased hesitancy towards assuming full professional responsibility. Although mentorship supports transitions in other healthcare professions, limited research has evaluated its role in pharmacy, particularly in Ireland where no formalised mentorship programme for newly-registered pharmacists currently exists.
Aim:
To evaluate the experiences and perceptions of newly-registered pharmacist mentees and their mentors participating in a three-month mentorship programme designed to support the transition to practice.
Methods:
A mixed-methods design was employed, incorporating online surveys administered to mentees pre-mentorship (T1), at programme conclusion (T2) and three months post-mentorship (T3) and to mentors at T2. Surveys included Likert-scale questions assessing emotional and practice-related challenges and open-response questions to capture participants’ reflections on their experiences. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and qualitative data were analysed thematically.
Results:
Ten mentees completed the survey at T1, five completed the survey at T2 and four completed the survey at T3. All mentees reported that they would recommend mentorship (n=5). Mentees reported high fear and difficulty regarding decision-making at T2 (100%, n=5). Communication was reported less challenging at T2 (40%, n=5). Isolation from loss of year-group support was prominent at T2 (80%, n=5). Happiness declined to 66.7% (n=3) at T3. Mentors perceived greater improvement in mentee emotional and practice confidence than mentees. Both groups highlighted personal and professional development benefits, alongside challenges related to programme engagement, mentor-mentee pairings and gaps in undergraduate preparation.
Conclusion:
Mentorship shows potential to support newly-registered pharmacists by enhancing early emotional and professional development. To optimise future mentorship offerings, clearer role expectations, standardised programme design and sufficient duration of mentorship are recommended.