AMA Wants Probe of Pharmacy-Based Health Clinics

Doctors' group cites possible conflict of interest; stores say they're responding to public's needs

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

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TUESDAY, June 26 (HealthDay News) -- The American Medical Association is calling upon federal and state agencies to investigate possible conflicts of interest posed by store-based health clinics operated by pharmacy chains.

The AMA said the request, made Monday at its annual meeting in Chicago, was spurred by reports that retailers say the store-based clinics help increase store traffic, which can increase sales of prescription drugs and non-health related items.

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"It seemed to many [AMA] members that there was an inherent conflict of interest in a relationship between a health clinic and a pharmacy chain in terms of writing prescriptions and getting them filled in that pharmacy," said Dr. Peter Carmel, a member of the AMA board of trustees, and chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery at New Jersey Medical School.

Carmel said that, before the vote, there were "allusions to reports" of potential conflicts, in which clinic operators earn more money or get promotions based on the amount of prescriptions written.

Specifically, the AMA voted to:

• Ask state and federal agencies to investigate the clinics and pharmacies for potential conflicts of interest as they relate to patient welfare and risk, and professional liability concerns.
• Work with state and specialty medical societies in developing guidelines for legislation that regulates store-based health clinics.
• Oppose any state and/or federal regulations for store-based health clinics that waive existing standards for medical care facilities.

A spokesman for Walgreens, the large drugstore chain that operates Take Care Health clinics staffed by nurse practitioners in some of its stores, defended the company's record and denied any conflict of interest.

"If the AMA pushes this agenda, its members may find out that legislators and their constituents have been demanding accessible, affordable and high-quality health care for years," Michael Polzin said. "And that's exactly what retail clinics are delivering.

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