Monday, June 18, 2007

Walk-In Medical Care at Your Local Drugstore! (Duane Reade)

My spouse was walking down the street and saw someone outside Duane Reade (a large drugstore chain) dressed in full surgical gear -- scrub top, scrub cap, and sneakers -- passing out pamphlets and announcing "Walk-In Medical Care! Walk-In Medical Care!" There was no difference between the way they announced this and the way you would announce, say, a show at a comedy club or a sale on cellphones.

More info here.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think that the lack of availability built into the schedules of many primary care physicians and providers has resulted in the demand for the "Doc in a box."

As a yout' I had to schedule my annual eye exam about 6 months because availability correlated with the fact that they scheduled appointments out to six months in the future. The supply demand mismatch in ophthalmology coupled with changes in eye-care insurance policies resulted in the so-called independent optometrist working in high-volume optician centers.

Since then doctor availability in primary care has dwindled, especially in the advent of the $15 co-pay and created a "walk in demand" that cannot be typically matched. These doc-in-a-boxes are fulfilling this demand.