Every episode of the A Coffee With podcast series will feature a different woman in pharmacy telling C+D editor Beth Kennedy about their career challenges. The series will be hosted on the new Women in Pharmacy group on the C+D Community platform.

In today’s podcast, Ms Kennedy speaks to Deborah Evans, managing director of consultancy firm Pharmacy Complete, about getting started in pharmacy, how to make pharmacy more equal, and inspirational women.

A male peer bullied Ms Evans at a "vulnerable" point in her life, making her doubt herself for the first time in her career, she says. She has worked with many women who have experienced ‘impostor syndrome’ – doubt in their own competence despite evident ability – but she says she has not experienced it often herself.

“We all question ourselves…but then I quickly go back to the evidence,” says Ms Evans, who is the first C+D Women in Pharmacy board member out of six to be announced. “Look at what you have achieved, look at what you’ve done. You’ve been in this position before where you’ve felt overwhelmed…and you’ve always managed it.

“The more you can build that little bank of achievement and reassure yourself that you’ve actually done it before and you will get through it, blag it or break it into manageable chunks – that’s how I deal with it.”

Ms Evans also challenges the lack of female representation among pharmacy leadership. While this doesn’t mean that the sector’s leaders should all be women, she stresses it is important “to have a mix”.

All the pharmacy organisations need to work together to achieve more equal and diverse leadership in the sector, she says.

You can listen to the podcast above. Alternatively, subscribe to C+D's podcasts by searching “Chemist+Druggist podcast” on your preferred app or on Soundcloud.

The Women in Pharmacy group is available to join by registering for free on the C+D Community