Retail Healthcare News

Illinois House Bill 5372 includes provisions that would bar retail clinics from opening in stores that sell alcohol or tobacco, prohibit insurance companies from negotiating lower co-pays and deductibles for services at retail clinics, and authorize the Department of Public Health to issue permits for operating retail health care clinics.

The Federal Trade Commission in early June issued a critical review of the proposed legislation, saying some provisions should be clarified or the bill would limit health-care competition.

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Driven by consumer demand, the convenient care clinic (CCC) tsunami seems unstoppable. Despite initial resistance to the nurse practitioner-staffed CCC concept from many physicians, NPs and the CCC industry have pushed forward. They now stand in a national spotlight that is highlighting an innovative and successful approach to delivering affordable, accessible, quality care for minor conditions.

“NPs are the best kept secret in health care, but the healthcare system cannot afford these types of secrets. The CCC industry puts NPs front and center,” says Susan Apold, RN, PhD, ANP, immediate past president of the American College of Nurse Practitioners. The secret is officially out, and Convenient Care Association member clinics are employing NPs to staff 80% to 85% of clinics.

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The drug stores and big-box retailers opening in-store clinics should make a choice: Stop selling cigarettes, or shut down the clinics. At least, that’s the position the AMA adopted this week at its big annual policy meeting.

The AMA doesn’t oppose retail clinics, but doctors’ groups in some states have called for tighter regulation of the clinics, which are typically staffed by nurse practitioners. We wondered whether the new AMA policy was a back-door way to slow the growth of the clinics

“In no way is this resolution to get back at them,” William A. Dolan, an orthopedic surgeon on the AMA’s board of trustees, told the Health Blog. “It’s ridiculous that a health deliverer should be dispensing cigarettes.

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The demand for cheaper and more accessible healthcare in the U.S. has led to the proliferation of retail health clinics, which offer simple medical treatments for walk-in patients. Could a similar model work in the UK?

Retail health clinics have succeeded in capturing the US public’s imagination because they are organized around principles valued by their customers. Retail health clinics:

• Offer easy access to healthcare
• Are backed by strong consumer brands, such as Wal-Mart and CVS Pharmacy
• Offer value for money, created by the focus on specific treatments, low turnaround time and the use of non-doctor clinical staff
• Are regarded positively by regulators

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According to the American Public Health Association, there were approximately 700 retail-based healthcare clinics operating in the U.S as of December 2007. These clinics, also known as convenience care clinics, are typically found in stores such as Walgreens, Target and Wal-Mart, and are usually staffed by Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants.

According to the latest WSJ.com/Harris Interactive health care study, U.S. adults who have used these health clinics in a pharmacy or retail chain are generally pleased, as almost all are very/somewhat satisfied with the quality of the care (90%), cost (86%) and staff qualifications (88%). As in prior surveys on this topic, the biggest driver of satisfaction appears to be convenience, with 73 percent very satisfied and another 20 percent somewhat satisfied with the convenience of these clinics. These clinics continue to be a destination for comparatively routine services like vaccinations and care of respiratory infections, and while public acceptance is increasing, they not particularly appealing for attention to more serious conditions.

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