Reading List

A curated Reading List to support and extend learning from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Pharmacy Staff.

This course uses Great Britain pharmacy standards and UK/England-facing workplace stress and NHS wellbeing guidance. Resources below are official or primary sources. England links are slightly more prominent where national entry points are clearer; Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland resources are included where support routes differ.

1. Core Pharmacy and Workplace Guidance

• GPhC - Standards for pharmacy professionals
  The professional standards for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain. Useful for connecting personal wellbeing with person-centred care, professional judgement, communication, and speaking up when risks arise.
  https://assets.pharmacyregulation.org/files/standards_for_pharmacy_professionals_may_2017_0.pdf

• NICE - Mental wellbeing at work (NG212)
  NICE guidance on creating supportive workplaces, reducing work-related stressors, and improving staff mental wellbeing. It explains organisational approaches rather than placing responsibility solely on individuals.
  https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng212

• HSE - Work-related stress and how to manage it
  The Health and Safety Executive overview of work-related stress in Great Britain. Covers employer duties to assess and manage work-related stress and practical steps for employers and managers.
  https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/overview.htm

2. ACT, Stress, and Practical Self-Help

• Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  A concise NHS explanation of ACT, including its focus on stepping back from unhelpful thoughts and acting on values. A practical primer for the ideas used in this course.
  https://www.northumbria.nhs.uk/our-services/health-psychology/techniques-help-you

• NHS - Stress: Every Mind Matters
  An NHS overview of what stress can do to thoughts, emotions, sleep, behaviour and the body, with simple self-care suggestions and advice on when to seek further help.
  https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/stress/

• NHS inform - Breathing and relaxation exercises
  A Scotland-facing NHS guide to breathing, grounding and relaxation exercises, which complement brief reset and grounding techniques used in this course.
  https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/breathing-and-relaxation-exercises/

3. Accessing Support Across the Four Nations

• England - Find NHS talking therapies for anxiety and depression
  The national self-referral route for NHS Talking Therapies in England. Use this when stress persists, symptoms of anxiety or low mood develop, or self-help is no longer sufficient.
  https://www.nhs.uk/talk

• Scotland - NHS inform Mind to Mind resources
  A Scotland-facing hub covering stress, anxiety, panic, sleep and how to access further support. Useful for official signposting outside this course content.
  https://www.nhsinform.scot/mind-to-mind/mind-to-mind-resources

• Wales - HEIW Mental health and SilverCloud
  NHS Wales information on digital self-help and mental health support, including SilverCloud access. For Wales-based staff seeking official support routes.
  https://heiw.nhs.wales/workforce/workforce-wellbeing/mental-health/

• Northern Ireland - nidirect Workplace stress
  A Northern Ireland government page on workplace stress, employer responsibilities, and practical steps if work pressure affects health and safety.
  https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/workplace-stress

Use this Reading List to deepen your understanding of ACT-informed stress management, professional responsibilities, workplace wellbeing, and official routes for support beyond self-help.