Healthy Living

In-store clinics 

Have you ever tried to see a doctor but couldn’t because your family doctor wasn’t available and you didn’t have the time to wait in the reception room? Next time, consider going to a retail health clinic.

Retail health clinics–also called convenient care clinics, mini clinics or in-store clinics–are found inside pharmacies, discount stores, supermarkets and shopping centers. These clinics provide acute care for minor illnesses, flu shots and other vaccinations, diagnostic screening, allergy testing, school and sports physicals, and routine exams for adults and children. With an emphasis on convenience, retail health clinics are open for extended hours, seven days a week. Prices are usually listed on a treatments-and-services menu, and retail health clinics are typically in-network with most insurers. Some of the bigger-name chains include RediClinic, TakeCare and MinuteClinic.

An appointment isn’t necessary when visiting a retail health clinic. Simply walk in and sign in–often through a virtual kiosk or sign-in sheet–and a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant will come out to see you. Visits are always in the full privacy of a traditional exam room, and they usually last about 15 minutes.

A retail health clinic should not replace a family doctor–it’s important to still have a medical “home” for continuity of care. When selecting a retail health clinic, ask if they have a formal connection with physician practices in your community. Clinics should also have a referral system to physician practices or to other entities appropriate to your symptoms beyond the clinic’s scope of work.

Have you visited a retail health clinic? Tell us what it was like!