Retail Clinics

NEW YORK — Researchers have found a human antibody that may be able to protect against all influenza A viruses, according to published reports.

The antibody, FI6, could lead to the development of a universal flu vaccine because it targets groups 1 and 2, the two main groups of the influenza A virus. Previously, researchers had not been able to find an antibody that worked against both groups.

The researchers have found the antibody effective in mice and ferrets, according to the reports.

WOONSOCKET, R.I., and DETROIT — Henry Ford Health System is working to increase its capacity to serve patients in metropolitan Detroit through a new collaborative effort with CVS Caremark's MinuteClinic.

MinuteClinic has 10 walk-in clinics inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in Southeast Michigan and is exploring additional locations in the Detroit metropolitan area.

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa. — McNeil Consumer Healthcare on Thursday announced plans for new dosing instructions, lowering the maximum daily dose for single-ingredient Extra Strength Tylenol (acetaminophen) products sold in the United States from eight pills per day (4,000 mg) to six pills per day (3,000 mg).

YORK, Pa. — WellSpan Health is planning to open this fall three CareExpress walk-in health clinics in York County, Pa., of which two clinics will be located inside Giant Food Stores.

According to WellSpan Health's website, the first clinic is slated to open in DJ Plaza in September. The other two clinic locations will open in October within the Giant Food Stores.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Almost half of all smokers try and fail to quit their addiction to nicotine products each year, according to a study released Wednesday.

A contributing factor to the high rate of failed quit attempts is the low use of nicotine-replacement therapies, the study found. That may be because of misperceptions around the health effects of NRTs.

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. — Chickenpox is the scourge of many a schoolchild and usually a convenient, if itchy and feverish, reason to stay home for several days, but it also has been fatal for many who catch it — until recently.

According to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, since a vaccine for varicella, the virus that causes chickenpox, became available in 1995, deaths from the virus have been virtually eliminated.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target opened on Monday three new retail-based health clinics in the Twin Cities as part of its expansion plan announced earlier this year.

As previously reported by Drug Store News, Target announced earlier this year plans to open eight new clinic locations this year in the Twin Cities (four clinics), Chicago (three clinics) and Fort Lauderdale-Davie, Fla., areas (one clinic) by the end of July. The first of the new clinics opened in the Twin Cities on March 2.


One thing that was pretty clear in the research we conducted for the 2011 Retail Clinician Reader Survey is that an increasing number of retail-based health practitioners want the clinics they work for to expand the scope of services beyond acute care. Many readers said the one thing that would make them even more satisfied about the work they do is “moving beyond sick care,” as one reader noted, to more preventive/wellness-oriented services, including chronic disease management programs for diabetes, hypertension and more.