32 - Grassroots Mentorship in Continuing Pharmacy Education: A Replicable Model for Professional Development

Background & Objective: The Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) Administrator at Belmont University needed a CPE mentor due to the absence of similar roles within the institution. This prompted a grassroots search for an external mentor.

Methods: Using the list of ACPE Accredited Providers on the ACPE website, the CPE Administrator created a custom database to evaluate potential mentors based on several criteria:

1. housed in a college or school of pharmacy


2. managed by a non-pharmacist


3. develops similar programming


4. targets similar audiences


5. participates in Joint Providerships


6. Conducts interprofessional continuing education though not Joint Accredited

Programs were ranked accordingly, and the CPE Administrator identified the Programs most comparable to her own. She then emailed the Administrators of those Programs, and the CPE Administrator at University of Rhode Island agreed to be a mentor.

Results: After 4.5 years of regular meetings, the mentorship achieved its goals: seek the perspective of an experienced CPE Administrator to exchange resources, discuss accreditation challenges, and share solutions. The mentee gained professional confidence and broader peer network access, including through Alliance membership. The mentor also benefited through peer collaboration, mutual learning, and enhanced insight into national CPE practices.

Discussion: Three key habits supported the mentorship’s success.

Habit	Benefit
Prepare a simple agenda of 3-4 items	encourages structure
Schedule meetings in advance at 6-week intervals	contributes to accountability
confirm the next meeting date at the end of each call	supports engagement

The mentee also found that ACPE provided a strong foundation for mentorship, and Alliance membership further enriched the experience.

Conclusion: Conducting a grassroots mentor search required a lot of work but was worth the effort in professional growth and community. This model is replicable for other CEhp professionals who seek mentorship but face institutional limitations.