Walgreens has gotten a jump-start on retail clinics in the Memphis market, but more chain stores are likely to begin offering the service, which has its fans and critics.

Walgreens in September opened four Take Care Clinics in the Memphis metropolitan area and plans to add another four. Wal-Mart could be next through a partnership with RediClinic. Another service, MinuteClinic, has set up operations in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville.

These clinics offer vaccinations, physical examinations, some prescriptions and other health care services with convenience and savings. No appointment is necessary. The average fee for basic services at a Take Care Clinic is between $59 and $74 for cash payers or whatever an insurance co-pay is. A flu vaccination in Memphis costs $25 with no office fee.

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RediClinic LLC announced today that it is opening its 15th Houston-area convenient care clinic in the new H-E-B store located at Bunker Hill and I-10.  The 926-sq.-ft. clinic, featuring three exam rooms and a room specifically designed for blood draws, is the largest RediClinic in operation. According to the Convenient Care Association (CCA), it is also the largest retail-based convenient care clinic in the U.S. RediClinics are in-store facilities that offer consumers easy access to high-quality, non-acute healthcare at affordable prices.

“We are delighted to be expanding our footprint in our home market with the opening of our 15th Greater Houston clinic,” said Web Golinkin, chief executive officer of RediClinic.  “The larger clinic design in H-E-B’s new Bunker Hill store enables us to treat more patients and gives us more flexibility in adding new services.”

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A Walgreen Co. subsidiary opened five more clinics at its drug stores in the Phoenix area Thursday.

Take Care Health Systems now has 13 clinics in the Phoenix metro and nine in Tucson. It is one of a growing number of companies offering clinic care within grocery and drug stores nationwide and in Arizona. Other players include Bashas’ Supermarkets, CVS Pharmacy Drug Stores, Fry’s Food and Drug and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

The Walgreen unit plans to open five more sites in the Phoenix area by the end of the year, said Nancy Zaner, regional nurse practitioner for the West/Southwest region, which includes the Arizona markets.

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As in-store health clinics continue to expand in the Pittsburgh market, research is raising concerns about their long-term viability.

Featuring upfront, no-frills menus limited to routine needs, retail clinics embrace a 15-minute, fast-food approach to health care that has gained in popularity.

Since the first such clinics opened here two years ago, the number has grown. The Pittsburgh area is expected to have 24 retail clinics by the end of the year, almost evenly divided between Take Care centers at Walgreens and MinuteClinics at CVS.

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Time-pressed moms and other consumers looking for simple, yet quality, health solutions are the target audience for Walgreens’ integrated campaign promoting Take Care Clinic, its in-store health clinic.

A TV spot, via Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners, Sausalito, Calif, anchors the effort, which launched this week. The ad shows a women sitting on a Take Care Clinic examining table with her two young sons nearby. As she rifles through the pages of her appointment book full of play dates, work and other obligations, she laments, “I don’t think I can fit the flu in right now.”

A voiceover states, “It’s quality family health care build around you” and mentions benefits like no appointments required, open seven days a week and most insurance coverage is welcome.

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With sales suffering, big-name retailers are trying other avenues such as health care to boost sales.

Retail health clinics are becoming a growing trend among supermarkets, superstores and drug stores, offering simple nonemergency services to consumers–no insurance and no appointment necessary.

Retailers such as Wal-Mart, Publix and CVS are putting health clinics in stores by one of three ownership models: ownership of a clinic, contracting with a private company or entering an agreement with local hospitals or medical practices.

Retail experts say it’s too soon to tell how profitable retail health clinics are as the industry is still growing.

However, judging by the clinics’ convenience, affordability and visibility, they have the potential to be a valuable addition for retailers.

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