Reading List

A curated Reading List to support and extend learning from Acceptance-Based Stress Management for Pharmacy Staff.

The term ABS in this course is a practical teaching label rather than a formal national pathway. The items below point to official guidance and practical resources that support safe workplace stress management, professional pharmacy practice, and appropriate wellbeing support. England-facing routes are slightly more visible because national entry points are clearer there; Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are signposted where relevant.

1. Core Pharmacy and Workplace Guidance

• GPhC - Standards for pharmacy professionals
  The core professional standards for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain. Useful for linking wellbeing with person-centred care, communication, professional judgement, and the duty to speak up about risks.
  https://assets.pharmacyregulation.org/files/standards_for_pharmacy_professionals_may_2017_0.pdf

• NICE - Mental wellbeing at work (NG212)
  Current NICE guidance on workplace culture, work design, support, and reducing risks to mental wellbeing. Helpful for understanding why employers should address work-related stress alongside individual support.
  https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng212

• HSE - Work-related stress and how to manage it
  The Health and Safety Executive overview for Great Britain. Explains the employer duty to assess and manage work-related stress and outlines early actions and practical support.
  https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/overview.htm

• HSE - Stress Management Standards
  An HSE framework describing workplace factors that drive stress - demands, control, support, relationships, role, and change. Particularly relevant for pharmacy managers and owners when planning interventions.
  https://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards/

2. Practical Self-Help and Everyday Stress Support

• NHS - Stress: Every Mind Matters
  An NHS guide to recognising stress, its effects on thoughts, mood, sleep, and the body, and practical self-care steps to try early on.
  https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/stress/

• NHS inform - Breathing and relaxation exercises
  A Scotland-facing NHS resource covering calming breathing, grounding, and relaxation exercises. Useful for the short reset techniques used in this course.
  https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/breathing-and-relaxation-exercises/

3. Support Routes Across the Four Nations

• England - NHS talking therapies for anxiety and depression
  The national NHS route for accessing talking therapies in England. Use this when stress is persistent, developing into anxiety or low mood, or not manageable through self-help alone.
  https://www.nhs.uk/talk

• Scotland - NHS inform: What to do if you are struggling with stress
  A Scotland-facing NHS page on symptoms of stress, practical coping steps, and where to get more help, including GP support and Breathing Space.
  https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/stress/what-to-do-if-you-are-struggling-with-stress/

• Wales - HEIW Mental health
  An NHS Wales workforce wellbeing page that brings together mental health and support resources, including digital and practical options for staff in Wales.
  https://heiw.nhs.wales/workforce/workforce-wellbeing/mental-health/

• Northern Ireland - nidirect Workplace stress
  A Northern Ireland government page explaining workplace stress, practical warning signs, and the responsibilities employers and workers should recognise when pressure begins to affect health and safety.
  https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/workplace-stress

Use this Reading List to deepen your knowledge of acceptance-based stress management, workplace wellbeing, professional responsibilities, and the official support routes that underpin safer, more sustainable pharmacy practice.