July 7, 2016 – Retail Pharmacy

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Anchor lead:  Many large retail pharmacies are moving into city neighborhoods and providing health services, Elizabeth Tracey reports

Inner city neighborhoods are seeing expansion of large retail pharmacies into their communities, where they offer health screenings of many types as well as urgent care services.  Joseph Cofrancesco, an HIV expert at Johns Hopkins who oversaw one such effort to provide rapid HIV screening at a Baltimore pharmacy, says such outreach is national.

Cofrancesco: Many of these major chains are truly interested in improving the health of their community. Witness the fact that after the events that happened in Baltimore last year that the burned down pharmacy was rebuilt and reopened.  So I think that most of these groups have at least a charitable arm.  It’s also probably good for business because the more you can identify people with their health the more they may need opportunities to use health care, and it’s also good advertising.   :27

Cofrancesco says at least for now, such clinics are no substitute for an ongoing relationship with a primary care physician.  At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.