Abstract
Engagement in professional advocacy among pharmacists is vital to advance the profession, provide safe and effective care to all patients, and promote legislation and policies that support public health. Professional advocacy behaviors specifically among early career pharmacists who graduated within the past five years are important because these behaviors prepare them to emerge as the leaders who will guide the changes in the healthcare system over the next few decades. This same group, however, is also the least likely among all pharmacists to engage in professional advocacy. Understanding factors contributing to professional advocacy among this demographic informs recommendations to academic institutions, professional pharmacy organizations, and other stakeholders who develop and implement programs that promote greater involvement in professional advocacy. In this dissertation, nine early career pharmacists participated in semi-structured interviews and provided insights from their unique lived experiences regarding their professional advocacy behaviors. Hand-coding and dramaturgical coding revealed themes and subthemes, including professional advocacy, professional identity, mentorship, interprofessional engagement, and leadership. These participants indicated that traditional and peer mentorship motivated their professional advocacy behaviors. They indicated, however, that preparatory factors were still insufficient given their limited experiences. Recommendations included curricular changes, post-graduate engagement, and new practitioner programs in professional organizations to promote early career pharmacists in their professional advocacy.Keywords: early career pharmacists, professional advocacy, mentorship, leadership, interprofessional engagement