Feasibility study for a peer support program for early career community pharmacists focusing on understanding and managing the emotional impact of significant events – Protocol for a longitudinal study

Participants randomly allocated to the intervention group will be invited to take part in monthly peer support meetings, which will take place online via Zoom. These meetings are expected to last between 45 and 60 minutes in duration, and will occur on a monthly basis for twelve months in total. Each group will contain a peer support facilitator who has been trained via Hand-N-Hand Peer Support prior to commencement of the study. There will be six participants in total in each group, including the facilitator. The content of the meetings will be guided by the facilitator, but is expected to be centered around workplace practices, relationships and stress. Adherence will be noted from meeting attendance. It is recommended that participants attend all meetings, but ultimately these are voluntary and the choice to engage in or attend each meeting will be at the discretion of each individual participant. The Hand-N-Hand Peer Support training completed by facilitators consists of an online training session run by the organisation that takes places over three hours.