First retail clinic opens in Medway drugstore

Massachusetts joined the retail medical clinic revolution in primary care today when the state's first MinuteClinic opened in a CVS store in Medway.

The limited-service clinics, staffed by board-certified nurse practitioners, offer treatment for minor illnesses and vaccinations for common diseases, including flu shots starting next month. The model of care is designed to offer convenient access for patients with sore throats or rashes who may not be able to make an appointment with their primary care doctors, or who may not have a regular healthcare provider. The clinics will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends. A visit costs $59.

By late morning two patients had already been seen for minor illnesses, MinuteClinic chief nursing officer Donna Haugland said in a phone interview from the store in the town southwest of Boston. One patient came in after seeing television reports about the clinic's opening day and another person working across the street came in when her boss urged her to get help, Haugland said, declining to be more specific about their conditions.

"My experience working in these clinics is patients are very excited to have access and convenience for minor acute illnesses," said Haugland, a nurse practitioner who staffed a Minneapolis MinuteClinic for 18 months. "Sometimes they can't wait for an appointment with their primary care physician or there are long waits in urgent care or the emergency room."

Retail clinics have been opposed by doctors' groups, including the Massachusetts Medical Society, on the grounds that they disrupt the doctor-patient relationship and further splinter the healthcare system.

"We really see ourselves as helping the fragmented healthcare system," Haugland said. "Our major focus is to provide for minor acute illnesses and really connect the patient with a medical home. Every patient is asked who their primary care practitioner is (so) we can send their records."

The state Department of Public Health approved licenses for the CVS clinics earlier this month after a year-long debate. The next four MinuteClinics will open in Bridgewater, Danvers, Taunton, and Tewksbury, CVS said in a statement, part of its plan for 28 clinics in its stores by the end of the year and 100 in the state overall.

Minneapolis-based MinuteClinic, a subsidiary of CVS Caremark Corp., operates retail clinics in 27 states.