The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that “Americans can increasingly get basic medical care in the same place they buy toothpaste and light bulbs,” with companies like Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, Walgreen and Rite Aid “opening in-store health clinics (that) offer patients fast access to routine medical services such as strep-throat tests, sports physicals and flu shots. The clinics, which typically charge between $25 and $60 per visit, don't require an appointment and are open during pharmacy hours including evenings and weekends. To keep costs down, they are staffed by nurse practitioners, who can legally treat patients and write prescriptions in most states.”
The operation of these facilities generally is outsourced to companies that specialize in these in-store clinics; some doctors groups object to the trend, saying that it offers patients lower-quality health care and too many opportunities for serious illness to go undiagnosed.
The operation of these facilities generally is outsourced to companies that specialize in these in-store clinics; some doctors groups object to the trend, saying that it offers patients lower-quality health care and too many opportunities for serious illness to go undiagnosed.
- KC's View:
- We think that these kinds of operations area terrific idea, the kind of idea that can redefine a retailer in the mind of the consumer.
