Reading List

This course draws on current Great Britain professional standards and England-facing guidance on pharmacy communication, patient safety, speaking up, and candour.

1. Core pharmacy standards and patient safety

• GPhC - Standards for pharmacy professionals
  Professional standards relevant to this course, especially person-centred care, effective communication, confidentiality, professional judgement, and speaking up when things go wrong.
  https://assets.pharmacyregulation.org/files/standards_for_pharmacy_professionals_may_2017_0.pdf

• GPhC - Standards for registered pharmacies
  Useful for the organisational aspects of difficult conversations, including safe management, patient privacy, quality systems, and how the pharmacy environment supports safe care.
  https://inspections.pharmacyregulation.org/standards

• GPhC - Keeping patients safe: being open and honest when things go wrong
  A concise, pharmacy-specific guide to apology, openness, explanation, next steps, and what honesty with patients looks like after an incident.
  https://assets.pharmacyregulation.org/files/2024-01/keeping-patients-safe-june-2022.pdf

• GPhC - In practice: Guidance on raising concerns
  Guidance for speaking up about colleagues, systems, behaviours, or environments that may put patient safety at risk.
  https://assets.pharmacyregulation.org/files/2024-01/in-practice-guidance-on-raising-concerns-november-2020.pdf

2. Communication, compassion, and difficult situations

• NHS England - Handling difficult situations with compassion
  Background on compassionate communication, active listening, and supporting staff wellbeing after emotionally difficult interactions.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/supporting-our-nhs-people/support-now/handling-difficult-situations-with-compassion-training-programme/

3. Candour and nation-specific follow-through

• CQC - Regulation 20: Duty of candour
  Overview of the statutory duty of candour for CQC-regulated providers in England, and the difference between statutory and professional candour.
  https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-regulation/providers/regulations-service-providers-and-managers/health-social-care-act/regulation-20

• Scottish Government - Duty of Candour and revised March 2025 guidance
  The Scotland-facing source for the organisational duty of candour, covering legal procedure, review process, apology expectations, records, reporting, and staff support.
  https://www.gov.scot/policies/healthcare-standards/duty-of-candour/

• Department of Health Northern Ireland - Being Open Framework for Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland
  The Northern Ireland source on openness, transparency, psychologically safe speaking up, and implementation of the Being Open Framework from April 2026.
  https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/being-open-framework-health-and-social-care-northern-ireland

• Northern Ireland Assembly - Department of Health update on quality and safety (19 February 2026)
  Current policy position in Northern Ireland, including the launch of the Being Open Framework and progress toward organisational duty of candour legislation.
  https://www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/official-report/written-ministerial-statements/department-of-health-update-on-departmental-policies-in-relation-to-quality-and-safety/

Pharmacy services operate across different settings and nations. Follow local SOPs, employer guidance, indemnity advice, and the legal framework that apply in your workplace. This is especially important for candour follow-through in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where the organisational framework differs from the mainly England-facing material used elsewhere in the course.