There's a Shoppers Drug Mart next to a walk-in clinic in every strip mall in Ontario. That's not what we're building.
The problem with "next door"
When a physician writes a prescription and the pharmacy is next door, the patient still has to walk out, walk in, wait in another line, and hope the pharmacy has the medication in stock. If there's a question about the prescription, the pharmacist calls the clinic, gets voicemail, and the patient waits.
That's proximity. Not integration.
How our model works
At Photon Health, the pharmacist and physician share a building, a workflow, and a patient relationship. When a physician prescribes a compound medication, the pharmacist down the hall can prepare it while the patient is still in the building. If there's a drug interaction concern, it's a 30-second conversation, not a fax.
The patient leaves with their medication. Not a prescription to fill somewhere else.
Why compounding changes everything
70-80% of medications prescribed to children need reformulation because they don't come in pediatric-friendly forms. Dermatology patients often need custom-strength creams. Pain patients benefit from topical compounds that avoid oral opioid risks.
Chain pharmacies can't do this. We can. And when the prescriber is in the same building, the feedback loop is instant.
The results
At our existing operation at 55 Dundas, this model generates $4M in combined revenue. Wait times are 1-3 hours because demand outstrips capacity — which is exactly why we're expanding.