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