Mayor Menino blasts approval of in-store clinics

By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino today blasted a state decision that paves the way for CVS Corp. and other retailers to open medical clinics inside their stores.

In a statement, the mayor said the decision yesterday by the state Public Health Council "jeopardizes patient safety. Limited service medical clinics run by merchants in for-profits corporations will seriously compromise quality of care and hygiene. Allowing retailers to make money off of sick people is wrong."

Menino called on the city's Public Health Commission, which meets this afternoon, to "look closely at limited service medical clinics and see how we can ensure that all healthcare facilities in Boston offer a comprehensive approach to health and wellness."

Executives of the CVS subsidiary that runs the clinic said they plan to open 25 to 30 MinuteClinics in Greater Boston before the end of the year. The clinics are designed to treat minor illnesses such as sore throats and poison ivy, not chronic diseases or medical emergencies.

Executives from MinuteClinics were not immediately available for comment yesterday.

In a statement responding to Menino's broadside, Department of Public Health officials said: “The members of the Public Health Council were deliberative and thoughtful in their review of the limited service clinic regulation. We believe these types of clinics, operated either as part of a retail operation or in a nonprofit setting can provide the public access to safe, convenient and quality care for minor health issues.”