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Ed Yeates ReportingOne stop shopping at your neighborhood grocery store is about to get even better. At least one grocery chain may be getting close to opening mini medical clinics inside its stores.
After 40 years of celebrating a partnership in health care, nurse practitioners are about to assume yet another role, one that's already catching on in several midwest and eastern states.
Like they do in hospitals and doctor's offices, now they could be seeing customers as they shop at their neighborhood grocery store. Nurse Practitioner Lee Moss calls it a logical move.
Lee Moss, M.S., Utah Rep., American Academy of Nurse Practitioners: "They already have the pharmacy there. I think it will be a good mesh for people who require minor care or care for minor problems that can be easily treated on a quick in and out basis."
So now, you can do your grocery shopping, get your prescription filled, and have a nurse practitioner at the same site check out your sore throat or cold. It's not only convenient, it's a less expensive level of health care.
The in-store clinic would be a single room similar to a single exam room found in larger clinics. Sore throats, pink eyes, earaches, basic minor illnesses could be diagnosed and treated by the nurse practitioner.
Lee Moss, M.S.: "They're going to treat what they're comfortable treating in that setting, and refer out whatever would be appropriate based on their assessment."
Local vendor Brian Anderson says the concept is simply catering to a new generation of harried consumers.
Brian Anderson, Cogent, Inc.: "And if you can pick up a jug of milk and also get a sore throat tested, pick up your dry cleaning, I guess most people are going to do that."
And at a flat fee of $40 to $45.00, that's much cheaper than a visit to an E.R.
Anderson says it's too early to announce exactly what stores may open clinics, but he says the first could be operational by January first.
