Proxim (also known by its corporate name Groupe PharmEssor) is a Canadian group of pharmacists located in Quebec and to a lesser extent in Ontario and the Maritimes provinces. The average Proxim drug store is 4000 sqft, similar to the typical size of a Brunet or Unipharm location. All Proxim stores are owned by independent pharmacists that comply with Proxim's business rules and practices. Proxim's private brand was formerly "Réservé", followed by "Atoma"; it is now "Option+", which it shares with Uniprix. The company also has a loyalty card program.
There are close to 270 drug stores in Eastern Canada that carry the Proxim name.
History
In August 2004, two companies - Groupe Essaim and Gestion Santé Services Obonsoins Inc—regrouped to form Groupe PharmEssor. The three pharmacy chains affected by this merger - Essaim, Obonsoins and Santé Services—were initially kept separate and intact by PharmEssor. However, in February 2006, PharmEssor consolidated all of its operations under a single banner, Proxim, hence eliminating the previous banners. The name "Proxim" was inspired from the word “proximity” to describe the group's great accessibility to pharmaceutical cares.[1]
One year after the creation of Proxim, the Proximed banner was created in February 2007. Thus, an estimate of 31 selected locations operate today under the name Proximed.