Retail Clinics

ROCKVILLE, Md. — By their very existence, retail clinics could threaten and/or complement at least six parts of the healthcare system, according to a report from Kalorama Information published Thursday, which placed the number of retail clinics at 2,200 across the U.S. According to the report, the oftentimes one-person operations have had a direct impact on hospitals, doctor's offices, government and private insurance payers, vaccine companies, in vitro diagnostic companies and healthcare IT companies.  

ATLANTA — The 2016/2017 influenza season is still ongoing. According to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu incidence is still tracking above the national baseline, making this year both the longest-running season and the latest-running season in recent memory.

BOISE, Idaho — An Albertsons pharmacy technician has become the first in the nation to administer an immunization to a patient. The new ability for the technician is the product of new law in Idaho brought about by a partnership between Albertsons and Washington State University College of Pharmacy, who worked together to develop the first pilot program to train pharmacy technicians to provide immunizations with permission from the Idaho board of pharmacy.

ATLANTA — A new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month in Pediatrics is the first of its kind to show that flu vaccination significantly reduced a child’s risk of dying from influenza. The study, which looked at data from four flu seasons between 2010 and 2014, found that flu vaccination reduced the risk of flu-associated death by half (51%) among children with underlying high-risk medical conditions and by nearly two-thirds (65%) among healthy children.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Beginning April 25, Walgreens Healthcare Clinic locations in 18 markets will offer testing services for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, Hepatitis B and C, chlamydia and gonorrhea.

PHOENIX — MinuteClinic, the retail medical clinic of CVS Health, is joining forces with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, the Phoenix VA Health Care System and TriWest Healthcare Alliance for an initiative that will expand access to high quality and convenient health care services for veterans in Phoenix and surrounding communities.

WALTHAM, Mass. – Alere on Tuesday announced that its Alere Reader, a diagnostic analyzer that can be used in both point-of-care and laboratory settings, has received 510(k) marketing clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.