The AP (4/4) reports Walgreen Co. announced that "most of its 370 in-store Take Care Clinics now will diagnosis, treat and monitor patients with some chronic conditions that are typically handled by doctors," such as diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure. The AP explains that "drugstore clinics, which are run by nurse practitioners or physician assistants, have grown popular in recent years as a convenient way for patients to get immunizations, physicals and treatment for relatively minor illnesses when their regular doctor is unavailable." The decision to expand "follows a move by CVS Caremark Corp. a few years ago to handle chronic conditions at most of its 640 MinuteClinics."
Bloomberg News (4/4, Burritt) adds, "Some family doctors have responded to competition from retail clinics, with 75 percent now offering same-day scheduling, while more than half have weekend or evening hours, according to Jeffrey Cain, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, a Leawood, Kansas-based group representing 106,000 doctors." They oppose "retail clinics providing services beyond 'minor acute illnesses' and in particular objects to 'the management of chronic medical conditions in this setting,' according to a statement on its website."
Kaiser Health News (4/4, Appleby) notes the company said "services will range from about $65 to $122 and will be offered in all Take Care Clinics except in Missouri, where state laws restrict non-physician services."
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