Retail medical clinics in stores such as CVS and Walgreens can be a
cheaper and more convenient option for patients seeking relief from minor
ailments. But just how these clinics fit in to the country’s health care
system, and how much they fragment an already disjointed system, is
being debated by primary care physicians and retail clinic
representatives.
The clinics accept patients on a walk-in basis,
are open on nights and weekends, and accept most insurance plans. But
the clinics do not have actual doctors on staff; instead, nurse
practitioners and physician assistants attend to the patients. Retail
clinics offer treatment for common illnesses, vaccinations, and
monitoring of chronic conditions.
According to Walgreens spokesman
Jim Cohn, there are more than 360 Walgreens Take Care Clinics across 19
states. Cohn told Progress Illinois that retail clinics are the next
logical step in the evolution of health care, and provide cost relief to
a health care system that is already overtaxed.
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