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Like it or not, more and more health care services are migrating to a retail setting.
Like it or not, more and more health care services are migrating to a retail setting.
Traditionally the primary source of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications, community pharmacies in recent years have significantly expanded the scope of their offerings. Guidance from the pharmacist is now as important as the product he or she dispenses. Services once restricted to a physician’s office, perhaps most notably immunizations for influenza and other conditions, are accessible without an appointment at many chains, and the rapidly growing number of in-store clinics provide acute and some routine chronic care.
Today major mass market retailers are pushing even further into health care. Sam’s Club, in conjunction with Aetna, has just unveiled a private health insurance exchange. Part of a larger suite of services (which includes payroll integration and human resources, legal solutions, and travel and payment processing) for the small businesses that are a key component of its membership, the Aetna Marketplace for Sam’s Club is designed to provide easy access to health plan options, enhanced cost control and budget predictability, simplified administration, and resources that assist employees in selecting coverage that is best for their needs. Rosalind Brewer, president and chief executive officer of Sam’s Club, says the goal is to "bring big business benefits to small business owners at a value they deserve."
The move comes on the heels of the launch of a health insurance initiative by Walmart, Sam’s Club’s parent company. By teaming up with DirectHealth.com, a website that lets consumers compare health plans and is also a licensed insurance agency, Walmart is able to offer guidance about coverage to customers in-store, by phone or online. Healthcare Begins Here is intended to add transparency to the often opaque functioning of the health care system.
The two programs — just two of many examples throughout chain pharmacy that could be cited — reflect a fundamental shift that is under way, one that Larry Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Health, has appropriately termed the retailization of health care. Community pharmacies have the assets in place to help achieve the goals of enhancing patient access to care, improving outcomes and lowering costs. It is good to see pharmacy operators develop new ways to leverage those resources and maximize their impact.
