Reading List

A curated Reading List to support and extend learning from Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Pharmacy Practice.

This course is based mainly on Great Britain pharmacy standards and equality law. Where the guidance addresses accessible communication, reasonable adjustments, or interpreting, England-facing NHS sources are used. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have differences in NHS arrangements and, in Northern Ireland, different pharmacy regulatory and equality frameworks; the nation-specific resources below make those differences explicit.

1. Core Pharmacy Standards and Guidance

• GPhC - Standards for pharmacy professionals
  The central professional standards for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain. Especially useful for person-centred care, communication, dignity, diversity, privacy, and speaking up.
  https://assets.pharmacyregulation.org/files/standards_for_pharmacy_professionals_may_2017_0.pdf

• GPhC - Equality guidance for pharmacies
  Practical Great Britain-facing guidance for pharmacy owners and teams on discrimination, reasonable adjustments, inclusive premises, complaints, training, and creating welcoming services.
  https://assets.pharmacyregulation.org/files/2023-02/gphc-equality-guidance-for-pharmacies-december-2022_0.pdf

• GPhC - Standards for registered pharmacies
  Useful alongside the equality guidance because inclusive care depends on governance, safe services, privacy, and a pharmacy environment that works for the public in practice.
  https://inspections.pharmacyregulation.org/standards

2. Equality Law and Rights in Services

• GOV.UK - Equality Act 2010: guidance
  A practical government overview of the Equality Act framework in Great Britain, covering discrimination, how the Act applies to services, and the public sector equality duty.
  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance

• legislation.gov.uk - Equality Act 2010
  The full legislation for readers who want the source text on protected characteristics, direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and service-provider duties.
  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents

• Equality Commission NI - Your rights
  A Northern Ireland guide to discrimination in work, education, and services across disability, sex, race, religion or belief, political opinion, sexual orientation, and age, with links to complaints processes, time limits, and NI equality legislation.
  https://equalityni.org/your-rights

3. Accessible Communication, Adjustments, and Interpreting

• NHS England - Accessible Information Standard: requirements
  The England standard on identifying, recording, sharing, and meeting communication and information needs, with detail on accessible formats and communication support.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/accessible-information-standard-requirements-dapb1605/

• NHS England - Reasonable adjustments
  Explains practical adjustments for disabled people and the current reasonable adjustment digital flag requirements in England, including the 30 September 2026 compliance date for publicly funded services.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/learning-disabilities/improving-health/reasonable-adjustments/

• NHS England - Improvement framework: community language translation and interpreting services
  Official guidance on limited English proficiency, cultural sensitivity, confidentiality, consent, and the risks of using informal interpreters or unreliable app-based translation.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/improvement-framework-community-language-translation-and-interpreting-services/

4. Nation-Specific Communication and Regulatory Signposting

• Scottish Government - Inclusive communication toolkit
  A Scotland-focused toolkit for public services, including health and care, with practical tools for more inclusive communication and service design.
  https://www.gov.scot/publications/inclusive-communication-toolkit/

• Welsh Government - Accessible communication and information standards in healthcare
  A Wales-specific source on accessible communication, preferred formats, and language preferences including Welsh, relevant when applying EDI principles in NHS Wales contexts.
  https://www.gov.wales/accessible-communication-and-information-standards-healthcare-html

• Pharmaceutical Society NI - The Code, Standards and Guidance
  The main Northern Ireland pharmacy regulatory page. Northern Ireland uses PSNI rather than GPhC and a revised Code became effective on 26 January 2026.
  https://psni.org.uk/the-code-standards-and-guidance/

Use this Reading List to deepen knowledge of legal duties, respectful communication, reasonable adjustments, language support, inclusive consultation practice, and the nation-specific context relevant to pharmacy teams across the UK.