Retail medical clinics are, as the name implies, small clinics located in otherwise retail stores, such as pharmacies or even grocery stores. They began springing up a few years back and have yet to fully go away. In fact they’ve only flourished, having more than 2,000 locations across America by the end of 2016. These clinics are small, only equipped to handle small health issues or give a quick checkup. However, they’ve prospered thanks to their convenient location, and promptness in speed. But are these clinics worth it? If you are seeking a medical clinic for a minor sickness or injury, and are considering a retail clinic, first consider these pros and cons.
Pros
Convenient: The great thing about being located in supermarkets and pharmacies? When there’s a problem out of nowhere, a retail clinic is easy to get to. There are barely any wait times, no need to set appointments since you can just walk right in, and have extended hours compared to even full time clinics.
Set prices: One thing these clinics have over full time clinics is their prices, which are always set. You can see how much they charge for certain services on their website, which should be linked to on the site of the store they’re working out of.
Standard issue quality: Despite their smaller size and manpower, they have just as much equipment and facilities as a normal clinic. And the doctors operating out of it are just as good, and sometimes better than, the average doctor.
Cons
Health care clashes: The health care for an older individual is far different from that of a younger one. And as such there can be complications for even simple problems that otherwise would’ve been solved fairly quickly.
Lack of communication: Even when you tell the clinic who your doctor is, there’s no guarantee that they’ll contact your doctor and inform them of your visit. They may not see it as necessary, or they may have so many patients that day they won’t be able to keep track, but whatever the reason, that can be a problem if you suspect that your visit carried more significance, and you want to go over it with your doctor during your next visit.
Retail clinics aren’t perfect, but they’ve prospered like they have for a very good reason. They’re fast, efficient, and just as capable as a regular doctor office. So if none of the cons are a problem for you, there’s no reason to turn down a visit to your retail clinic.
If you would rather visit a quality medical clinic in Bellmore NY that isn’t located in a retail establishment, East Meadow MD has an excellent reputation for the quality care they provide.
