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Independent Pharmacy Awards winner Deborah Evans is using her prescribing skills to redefine what a modern pharmacy can offer, as Saša Janković found out…

Deborah Evans won the Prescriber of the Year award at the House of Commons last year for her pioneering approach at Remedi Health.

With a focus on women’s health, preventative care and innovative private services, in many ways, she is an example for other pharmacists to follow.

Deborah has also had a distinguished career spanning over 35 years in pharmacy, encompassing roles in community pharmacy management, senior leadership within the pharmaceutical industry and as director of pharmacy for the National Pharmacy Association.

Ahead of the pharmacy curve

She has an impressive track record of being ahead of the pharmacy curve. Her role as pathfinder work programme lead for the healthy living pharmacies initiative over a decade ago paved the way for a national roll-out that resulted in every pharmacy in England being accredited as a healthy living pharmacy.

She is also managing director of Pharmacy Complete, an award-winning training and consultancy business supporting pharmacists and their teams to maximise their professional and business potential.

Deborah’s latest venture – for which she previously won Independent Community Pharmacist's Pharmacy Innovation Award in 2023 – is Remedi Health in Winchester, a private pharmacy and diagnostic testing clinic established during the Covid pandemic from where she practices as an independent prescriber, specialising in women’s sexual and reproductive health.

The Remedi Health team, led by Deborah, includes 11 part-time professionals, a medical director, an IP-in-training pharmacist, three clinical administrators, a lead phlebotomist, a skin doctor, a sleep specialist, a bookkeeper, a marketing specialist and a pharmacy student, with a clinical psychologist set to join the team later this year. 

Reverses the traditional community pharmacy approach

Remedi Health reverses the traditional community pharmacy approach and, with no plans to obtain an NHS contract, Deborah employs her IP qualification to offer a range of advanced clinical services and integrated on-site investigations, as well as a private prescription service and the supply of over-the-counter medicines.

Deborah’s focus on women’s health, particularly contraception, perimenopause and menopause, addresses significant gaps in care, providing comprehensive management including hormone replacement therapy to improve quality of life and mitigate long-term health risks.

Her support of over 275 women has helped them achieve notable reductions in menopausal symptoms and enhanced management of chronic conditions.

She says working with women as they transition out of their reproductive years was a natural progression in her work.

“My passion for menopause care stems from years of experience in women's sexual and reproductive health”, explains Deborah.

“I have been actively involved in launching emergency hormonal contraception and the progestogen-only pill, and I also provide a contraceptive implant service.

“Every woman will experience perimenopause and menopause, and the impact on their health and wellbeing can be profound.”

Increasing awareness of the menopause

Despite increasing awareness of the menopause thanks to advocates like Davina McCall, Deborah maintains that menopause care remains “shockingly inadequate”, and she says “the misinformation surrounding HRT needs to change”.

“Many women, and even healthcare professionals, mistakenly believe that hormone replacement therapy is ‘high risk’ and that enduring menopause naturally is a better option, and this is simply not true,” she says.

“For most women, HRT is not only safe but also significantly improves health outcomes and longevity.

Our menopause service is dedicated to empowering women with this knowledge, helping them not only feel better today but also protect themselves from long-term illnesses.”

Her expertise extends to weight management and prescribing GLP-1 analogues, with Remedi Health’s weight management service so far helping over 100 people in their weight loss journey.

“Our weight management service is designed not just to help people lose weight, but to transform their long-term health and wellbeing, and the impact has been life changing”, says Deborah.

“The introduction of GLP-1 receptor agonists (such as semaglutide and tirzepatide) has been a game-changer in weight management, and seeing our patients regain their confidence, improve their health, and transform their lives is what makes this work so incredibly rewarding.”

Maximising private revenue

Remedi Health does not provide NHS services, giving Deborah a wide scope to use the breadth of her expertise by offering private travel and general vaccinations.

She also treats various dermatological issues and acute Illness, manages vitamin deficiencies and lipid levels, provides contraception including unique contraceptive implants with lidocaine, as well as testosterone replacement therapy for men and women.

Her pharmacy also offers traditional services such as blood pressure monitoring, alongside innovative services including allergy and genetic testing, mental health support and cancer screening.

A proponent of using her prescribing skills to maximise private revenue, Deborah says other prescribers looking to do the same can look to align their prescribing with what they are about.

“Success in private prescribing isn’t just about financial gain, it’s about finding a niche that aligns with your passion and purpose”, she says.

“Patients seek out private healthcare because they want expert, patient-centred care that goes beyond what is available on the NHS.

“When you are passionate about a particular area – whether it’s women’s health, weight management, dermatology, or lifestyle medicine – you naturally provide a higher quality service, leading to better patient outcomes, increased word-of-mouth referrals, and a thriving business.

Deborah also says it’s important to understand what clients actually need.

“For example, the demand for menopause care, weight loss treatments (GLP-1 analogues), skin treatments, and testosterone therapy for men’s health has grown significantly,” she says.

“So, if patients struggle to access these services through traditional routes, they are willing to pay for timely, expert-led private care.”

Find a gap in the market and differentiate yourself

The key, according to Deborah, is to find a gap in the market that allows you to differentiate yourself.

“It could be offering a more personalised experience, a subscription-based follow-up service, or a unique treatment approach”, she says.

“Use tools like social media polls, patient feedback and local forums to gather insights on what potential clients need, as well as identifying gaps in your local market by reviewing what other private providers in your area are offering.”

Her final piece of advice is to build a sustainable, ethical private service.

“Maximising revenue isn’t just about increasing income”, Deborah says. “It’s about providing excellent care, building a strong reputation, and offering services that genuinely benefit your patients.

“When you focus on expertise, patient needs, and service quality, financial success follows naturally.” 

Deborah’s advice to drive private income

·      Find a gap in the market to differentiate yourself.

·      Consider a subscription-based follow-up service or unique treatment approach.

·      Use social media polls and local forums to gather insights on what patients need.

·      Review what other private providers in your area are offering.