Retail Clinics

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. Retail-based clinic operator The Little Clinic has stated for the first time that it is a wholly owned subsidiary of grocery chain Kroger.

A Kroger spokesperson was not immediately available to provide additional details.

In 2008, it was announced that Kroger had made an investment of an undisclosed amount into The Little Clinic. The investment, at that time, was described as "significant." Private equity firm Solera Capital had acquired The Little Clinic's predecessor in 2005.

ATLANTA The rate of reported tuberculosis cases in the United States has decreased more than 11% since 2008, making it the greatest single-year decrease since the disease surveillance commenced in 1953, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

DEERFIELD, Ill. An increased awareness and concern around the flu caused a spike in the use of retail pharmacies as vaccination resources, according to data unveiled by Walgreens on Thursday.

As the retail pharmacy continues to play an increasingly important role in trying to drive higher rates for flu immunizations in all 50 states, seasonal flu shots administered by pharmacists grew 36% this flu season, capturing about 10% of the total administered nationwide, according to researched conducted by Wolters Kluwer.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. MinuteClinic officially announced the introduction of new health-condition monitoring services for patients with diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and asthma.

ATLANTA The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still is recommending people who have not yet gotten their H1N1 flu shots that they do so. H1N1 vaccine is widely available, CDC officials noted.

In a conference call with reporters on Monday, the CDC that H1N1 has “not gone away,” with regional activity still being reported throughout the southeast, most notably in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Hospitalizations attributed to H1N1 have been on the rise for three consecutive weeks.

MINNEAPOLIS Mednet, which specializes in Health Information Exchange applications and services, has elected former MinuteClinic CEO Michael Howe to serve as chairman of its board of directors.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. GlaxoSmithKline is offering its vaccines free of charge to low-income adults, the British drug maker announced Monday.

The GSK Vaccines Access Program offers adult vaccines for diseases such as hepatitis, tetanus and human papillomavirus for adults ages 19 years and older who lack health insurance coverage for vaccines.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. More people felt the 2009-2010 cough-cold season was “about the same” or only “slightly worse” than the year prior, a recent national survey of 1,017 Americans sponsored by Matrixx Initiatives found.

A little less than half, 42%, characterized this past year’s season as about the same historically with regard to illness levels, and 21% suggested it was slightly worse in large part because of the H1N1 pandemic hype.