Why Retail Clinics Are Becoming More Serious Market Threats

I have previously suggested that the effort to transform community pharmacies into neighborhood health centers is a disruptive force in health care that could have very positive benefits for pharmacists if we play our positions appropriately.

A story that appeared in Becker’s Hospital Review on November 13, 2014, made a similar suggestion, which is that placing urgent care centers in chain pharmacies is a disruptive force. The article listed the presence of pharmacists as one of the reasons why retail clinics are becoming a serious market threat. However, such a movement is not without its risks.

A colleague told me about a conversation she had with a surgeon who was a member of a medical board and had expressed concern about the number of retail clinics that were proliferating. As pharmacists expand their role into chronic disease management, I think this new trend will be great for our profession.

But, I know not everyone in pharmacy agrees with me, so let me hear from you.