In Store Medical Clinics-A Good Thing?

CVS Pharmacy, Rite Aid and other chain drug stores have found a new trend: the in store medical clinic. These clinics allow customers to go in and see a physician's assistant in the store and fill a prescription a few steps away in the pharmacy. Sounds good, right?

To the average consumer two things about these types of clinics stick out, convenience and cost.

For the convenience part It is obvious: you can see one of the P.A.'s at night or on the weekends. Few doctor's offices stay open on the weekends and at night. We all also know that anything is better than waiting in the emergency room!
As far as costs go, most people will pay their regular office visit co pay. In some cases however, there will be no cost to the patient. The overhead for one of these clinics is marginal, and can save your health benefits manager about 1/3 the costs of a regular office visit.

Sounds good, again, right? Maybe even to good to be true? Good thinking. So far on the consumer level there have been minimal complaints. Good sign, but this is far from the sick season rush.

The carious professional doctor's associations have come out swinging against these clinics. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released a statement of their position on the clinics.

"These clinics do not support the American Academy of Pediatrics commitment…With these clinics comes a chance of possible fragmentation, lower quality of care, especially with children of special needs. They lack access to a central health record, the use of certain tests without proper follow up and most especially public health issues in terms of contagious diseases."

Pretty hard stuff.

I had worked in a retail pharmacy environment for seven years. I can attest to what the academies concerns are.
Let's break it down.

As of right now, not being in cold and flu season, these clinics not having a central health record could prove to be a huge problem. Why? Because they are relying on the customer/patient to provide them with all their pertinent medical information. Maybe as far as prescription drugs goes this could be feasible since the P.A. could have access to that current pharmacy's prescription records. But we know how many people both doctor and pharmacy shop-so is there ever a real central health/pharmacy record for anyone?

No when it's cold and flu season, that is when I would become extremely concerned about these clinics. Common cold symptoms or even a sore throat mistake for strep all could be warning signs of something more serious. I am afraid that these clinics would send someone off with a prescription for Zithromax when it's a more serious infection in their lymphnodes. Someone's regular physician might be able to differentiate between these types of symptoms. The clinics might not be able to spend adequate amounts of time with the patient. They also would not be able to have adequate follow ups.

So there it is: these clinics are definitely on the sticky side. Proceed with caution until more have been opened across America for a longer period of time Also, although none have been filed to date, be on the lookout if any legal proceedings are filed-this might be able to tell you what's to come.