The American Health Care System Should Be Terrified Of The Rise Of The Pharmacy Clinic
Jul 11, 2013, 21:20 IST
Walgreens In a country that's getting fatter, older, and needs more medical care, there's a huge opportunity for companies to really disrupt the American health care system. Rattle the dust off those old bones if you will. The opportunity waits in plain sight at your local pharmacy, and some companies like Walgreens and CVS have taken notice and hope that you will too. Walgreens, the largest pharmacy chain in America, made an aggressive move in April to expand its Take Care retail clinic's services to include diagnosing and treating chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes and high cholesterol. It's not the only — or the largest — of these types of clinics (CVS has some 650 Minute Clinics versus Walgreens' 370 plus) but it's become the most comprehensive. Demand is ratcheting up. More people have chronic illnesses, some 30 million new people will get access to health insurance due to the Affordable Care Act, and we're likely to see a large physician shortage, especially in primary care. The ACA also places lots of emphasis on preventative care, also part of the clinics' expanded services. These clinics provide the sort of basic care that most people need at a fraction of the cost. And more and cheaper preventative care means less ER visits. The current American health care system should be nervous.