| Basic healthcare may have just gotten easier, | | | | hygiene and safety. "We've got big problems |
| albeit controversially. The number of walk-in | | | | in healthcare, and this is not the answer," |
| clinics at drugstores like Walgreens, CVS, | | | | said Rick Kellerman, president of the |
| Wal-Mart, and Duane Reade has been increasing | | | | American Academy of Family Physicians. |
| over the last two years, and very little is | | | | |
| slowing down plans to add hundreds more | | | | Many state officials agree, at least to a |
| across the country. Recent studies cite | | | | certain extent. The walk-in clinics are |
| shorter waiting periods, lower costs, and | | | | currently being monitored by a confusing mix |
| instant prescription fills for the clinics, | | | | of agencies applying a wide and inconsistent |
| in contrast to more expensive and | | | | range of regulations and enforcement |
| time-consuming trips to doctors' offices. The | | | | principles. After Massachusetts doctors' |
| majority of these clinics also accept most | | | | groups issued loud protests to the proposed |
| health insurance plans, leaving little | | | | opening of a MinuteClinic, the Health |
| incentive for on-the-go Americans to wait | | | | Department issued guidelines for the state, |
| days or weeks for non-specialized | | | | calling for the facilities to clearly specify |
| appointments in conventional offices. | | | | that they are "limited service clinics." The |
| | | | American Medical Association is pushing for |
| The rise in healthcare costs, the decrease in | | | | similar national requirements on the |
| the number able to afford private health | | | | drugstore facilities, urging local and |
| insurance, and the inadequate number of | | | | federal governments to require them to be |
| primary care physicians across the country | | | | "well-defined and limited [in] scope." Two |
| have all been building up to this -- perhaps | | | | public hearings on the issue are scheduled in |
| inevitable -- solution. One can now walk in | | | | Massachusetts in September. |
| to any number of seven hundred clinics | | | | |
| located in several nationwide drug and | | | | Conflicts of interest between the clinics and |
| discount store chains and be seen, on | | | | the drugstores cannot be ignored, either. New |
| average, in under twenty-five minutes. While | | | | York state regulators are investigating |
| the clinics are not recommended for anything | | | | possible inappropriate relationships between |
| but basic care -- such as treating a cold, | | | | drug companies and medical providers. The |
| flu, or mild infection -- that's just fine | | | | risk, they say, is of healthcare facilities |
| for many, especially those going back to | | | | being used improperly to increase business or |
| school, who are often bombarded by common, | | | | to funnel patients into their adjacent |
| acute illnesses in those first, returning | | | | pharmacies. In certain states, like New York, |
| months. | | | | it is also necessary for clinics to operate |
| | | | as independent practices or professional |
| Texas, a state in which twenty-five percent | | | | corporations; i.e., they must not be a part |
| of the populace is without health insurance, | | | | of the drugstore chains themselves. |
| may particularly stand to benefit from | | | | |
| increased healthcare options. A visit to a | | | | "If we determine the business corporations |
| MinuteClinic, a wholly owned subsidiary of | | | | [like CVS] are practicing medicine, then they |
| CVS Caremark, costs an average of eighteen | | | | are illegally practicing the profession and |
| dollars less than other primary-care clinics, | | | | we have the authority to investigate," said |
| according to HealthPartners, a Minnesota | | | | Frank Munoz, associate commissioner of the |
| health maintenance organization. Emergency | | | | New York State Education Department's Office |
| rooms across Dallas, Houston, Austin, and the | | | | of Professions. |
| rest of the state are overloaded with the | | | | |
| uninsured seeking basic, non-emergency care | | | | Duane Reade, a pharmacy chain located |
| simply because they have nowhere else to go. | | | | primarily on the East coast, is attempting to |
| Offering easier, cheaper access to basic | | | | limit possible complications by partnering up |
| diagnostic care and treatments may alleviate | | | | with well-known hospitals, such as New York |
| some of the burden on both individuals and | | | | City's Beth Israel Medical Center and St. |
| local facilities overwhelmed by too many | | | | Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center. Duane Reade |
| people and not enough funding. | | | | clinics will be staffed by medical doctors, |
| | | | versus nurse practitioners or physician |
| Twenty percent of people in the United States | | | | assistants, and have admitting privileges to |
| have no or inadequate access to a primary | | | | partnering facilities. Such agreements will |
| care physician, with few indications that | | | | give the doctors the ability to send those in |
| statistic will improve in the near future. In | | | | need of emergency care straight to the |
| 2004, seventy-five percent of the counties in | | | | hospital, and streamline patients' procedures |
| Texas lacked sufficient numbers of primary | | | | to see specialists. Additionally, the clinics |
| care physicians to meet local needs, and | | | | will function as private medical practices, |
| twenty-four counties had none at all. | | | | run by the physicians themselves, who will |
| Drugstore clinics often employ more | | | | lease the space from the corporation. |
| cost-effective nurse practitioners and | | | | |
| physician assistants -- healthcare workers | | | | Michael C. Howe, chief executive of |
| with the ability to diagnose and treat | | | | MinuteClinic, which runs over two hundred |
| everyday conditions, but who are under the | | | | clinics nationwide, defends CVS's practices |
| supervision of a licensed medical doctor. | | | | as they are, however. "We are transparent |
| These workers are growing more and more | | | | with regulators," he said, and concerns "are |
| popular within the industry, partially as a | | | | being raised by people who have not really |
| result of the shortage of family | | | | studied the model." |
| practitioners. | | | | |
| | | | Being aware of current events and issues |
| But doctors' groups are protesting, and some | | | | affecting your health is an important part of |
| with good cause. Many of these groups stand | | | | taking care of yourself. Minding your health |
| to lose substantial business, and are arguing | | | | will certainly affect you as you age, and |
| that such facilities may be unable to provide | | | | eventually your wallet. |
| the proper standards of care, including | | | | |