Are in-store clinics right for you?

Increased customer satisfaction and Rx drug sales ... New pharmacy and supermarket customers ... Another way to differentiate yourself from the competition. These are some of the potential benefits of opening an in-store clinic. You may want to be the first on the block to provide that point of difference. If you don't do it, you may be at a competitive loss.

Respondents were asked, Based on what you know or have heard, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: On-site health clinics at retail stores provide busy people with a fast and easy way to get basic medical services.

Heiser informed conference attendees that MinuteClinic, The Little Clinic, Take Care Health Systems, and RediClinic are the four key national players. Take Care has partnered with Osco, Rite Aid, and Brooks/Eckerd; RediClinic has teamed with Wal-Mart, HEB, and Duane Reade; MinuteClinic has joined with CVS, Target, Bartell's, and Cub; The Little Clinic has teamed up with Kroger and Publix.

To give attendees an example of the economic potential of adding a clinic, Heiser said MinuteClinic can serve four patients an hour-48 people a day. "Ninety percent of people seen at the clinic receive a prescription; 85% of people seen at the clinic end up using that pharmacy to fill the prescription; patients leave with 1.2 prescriptions in their hand; 65% of people in the store are brand-new customers as a result of coming to the clinic," said Heiser.

While in-store clinics can have a positive impact on the pharmacy's bottom line, Heiser acknowledged that there are challenges:

For those retailers who want to jump on the clinic bandwagon, consider the following characteristics in evaluating the optimal store location to house this service: