Doctor Group Opposes Retail Clinics for Kids

Clinics in grocery and drug stores are not the best places for kids to get primary medical care, a group of children’s doctors says. The statement is an update of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy on retail-based clinics. Several national chains have these clinics in their stores. They usually are staffed by physician assistants or nurse practitioners, not doctors. The AAP says that care from retail clinics is fragmented. Kids may see a different person each time. The clinics don’t have a child’s medical records. They don’t provide follow-up care. Parents can’t call them after hours. The statement mostly is the same as the AAP’s policy released in 2006. But it also urges retail clinics to support a patient’s “medical home.” This is the doctor’s office or clinic where the child receives care on a long-term basis.