PROFESSIONAL ISSUES

AMA meeting: Delegates seek more oversight of retail clinics

The AMA house tries to ensure the clinics don't get special treatment from regulators and insurance companies, and don't compromise quality of care.

By Pamela Lewis Dolan, AMNews staff. July 16, 2007.

Annual Meeting 2007

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Chicago -- Citing concerns that retail-based clinics may be too much retail and not enough clinic, the AMA House of Delegates at its Annual Meeting last month approved resolutions that call for an investigation into the growing industry.

During testimony before the reference committee addressing medical practice, many AMA members expressed concerns with patients getting prescriptions written and filled under the same retail roof.

"Maybe MinuteClinic should change its name to Nurse Kiosk," quipped Raj Lal, MD, a thoracic surgeon from Oak Brook, Ill., referring to one of the largest retail clinic chains, now owned by Providence, R.I.-based CVS Caremark Corp.

The AMA house adopted policy that calls for state and federal probes into a possible conflict of interest between the clinics and the pharmacies that own or host them. The new policy also opposes the waiving of state and federal regulations for retail clinics that do not comply with standards for medical practice facilities, and opposes the practice of insurers reducing or lowering co-pays to encourage the use of the clinics.

Members expressed concern that insurers and state regulators might be giving the clinics favorable treatment, placing traditional practices at a competitive disadvantage.

A year ago the AMA board acknowledged that retail health clinics were controversial but ultimately decided the clinics fit long-standing AMA policy that encourages "multiple entry points" into the health care system. It also developed guidelines that clinics must follow.

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