Retail Health Will Expand in Scope
It's official: When before there were just hints and hypotheticals, now retail health operators are openly confessing to plans for expanding services. In "Retail Medical Clinics Are Poised to Play an Increasingly Important Role in Primary Care" by AISHealth.com, Dan Zacchei, a Take Care Health spokesperson, talks about the company's plan for integrated health care services:
"We will be providing multiple points of care with a depth of offering," he says. "Through Walgreen's Health and Wellness Division, of which Take Care is the primary entity, the company will be able to extend its core business into the broader health care space and will expand health care access beyond the retail pharmacy." He adds that Walgreens is scanning the horizon to identify the next generation of services consumers want and need, "and we'll consider the best way to meet those needs."
Walgreens Health and Wellness Division purchased a work site health care company in 2008, so they will be combining forces to provide more than just a menu of health care services in retail and work site locations. This is great news for patients, and it will provide even more job opportunities for NPs.