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STORE-BASED CLINICS / URGENT CARE CENTERS

Store-Based Health Clinics

RESOLVED, That the North Carolina Medical Society opposes the existence of store-based health clinics unless they meet the following principles:

PRINCIPLES:

  1. Store-based health clinics must have a well-defined and limited scope of clinical services, consistent with state scope of practice laws.
  2. Store-based health clinics must use standardized medical protocols derived from evidence-based practice guidelines to ensure patient safety and quality of care.
  3. Store-based health clinics must establish arrangements by which their health care practitioners have direct access to and supervision by those with medical degrees (MD and DO) as consistent with state laws.
  4. Store-based health clinics must establish protocols for ensuring continuity of care with practicing physicians within the local community.
  5. Store-based health clinics must establish a referral system with physician practices or other facilities for appropriate treatment if the patient’s conditions or symptoms are beyond the scope of services provided by the clinic.
  6. Store-based health clinics must clearly inform patients in advance of the qualifications of the health care practitioners who are providing care, as well as any limitation in the types of illnesses that can be diagnosed and treated.
  7. Store-based health clinics must establish appropriate sanitation and hygienic guidelines and facilities to ensure the safety of patients.
  8. Store-based health clinics should be encouraged to use electronic health records as a means of communicating patient information and facilitating continuity of care.
  9. Store-based health clinics should encourage patients to establish care with a primary care physician to ensure continuity of care.
  10. Store-based health clinics must clearly display a) the name, location and telephone number of the supervising physician and b) notification as to whether there is a physician on site.
  11. Store-based health clinics must ensure that all patients seen are referred back to their current primary care physician. If no primary care relationship exists for a patient seen at a store-based health clinic, then referral should be made to a primary care physician in the local community for follow-up, including private practices, public health clinics or other primary care offices.
  12. Store-based health clinics must ensure that notification is clearly visible to all patients seen at store-based health clinics that they do not have to get prescriptions at the store-based health clinic where care is delivered. This notice should specifically include addresses and phone numbers of other nearby pharmacies where medications may be obtained at a lower price.

(Report N-2006, adopted 10/29/2006)(revised, Report D-2009, adopted in lieu of Resolution 12-2008, 11/01/2009) (reaffirmed, Reaffirmation Report-2014, Item 30, adopted 10/25/2014)