Kevin O’Reilly (2007) overviews the current state of retail health clinics including the legal policy regarding these practices, physician perspectives of their services, and patient reporting of visits. Many states, such as Illinois, Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania have proposed or passed legislature, in recent years, that effects ANP practice within these clinics. Two of these states (Pennsylvania and Texas) moved to increase freedom by allowing physicians to oversee more Nurse Practitioners, drawing more time and attention from physicians. The American Medical Association (AMA) opposes this legislation, and has called for increased regulation of retail clinics to limit or prevent services. The AMA, overall, has discouraged more freedoms for retail clinic practice (which is mostly served by APNs), however has also opposed many state policies aimed at regulating them. This is largely due to the nature of these policies, which call for physician involvement.
Despite opposition from areas of the medical community, patient reporting of these clinics has been positive. The volume of visits had increased, as well as the cost for services. O’Reilly (2007) points to this, interpreting that more complex cases have been brought to these venues. Overall patient satisfaction of these clinics consistently ranks high as well.
O’Reilly, K. B. (2007). Physicians pushing state lawmakers to regulate burgeoning retail clinics. American Medical News. Retrieved November 10, 2009 from http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/06/04/prl10604.htm