Walgreens Clinics Now Diagnosing, Treating Chronic Conditions
Walgreens has announced the expansion of its in-store clinic services to include diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic conditions through the introduction of physician assistants and nurse practitioners into 300 of the company’s Take Care Clinics.
The new strategy makes the retail chain the first of its kind to provide primary care apart from simply assisting in the implementation of treatment prescribed elsewhere, a move that Walgreens hopes will allow them to help give patients access to affordable care amid rising health care costs and physician shortages.
“We’re not trying to take over primary care, but we think we can help support physicians and transform the way care is delivered to provide more access points at a time when people need it the most,” said Heather Helle, a division vice president at Walgreens.
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has spoken out against the development, citing concerns about the clinics’ access to services needed to treat those patients with more complex conditions, and the difficulties that arise when patients are treated at multiple locations.
Walgreens has answered these concerns, placing physicians to oversee the clinics and making it possible for the clinics to transfer results electronically to nearby, affiliated doctors’ offices. Walgreens would also assist patients in finding a physician, should the need arise.
With costs ranging from $65 to $122, expansion to primary care services will allow the clinics to grow their business while providing affordable, available care to patients in need.
Sharing the concerns of the AAFP, the American College of Physicians (ACP) focused their opinions on the quality of care and the patient experience.
“We understand retail clinics are here to stay and likely to be expanding,” said Steven Weinberger, executive vice president of the ACP. “We need to figure out how the patient can be best served … in terms of safety, access and communication with the primary care physicians.”
–Michael Potts
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Reference:
Appleby J. Walgreens Becomes 1st Retail Chain To Diagnose, Treat Chronic Conditions. Kaiser Health News. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/April/04/walgreens-primary-care-services.aspx. Published April 4, 2013. Accessed April 8, 2013.