Go ahead and shop ‘till you drop. There’s a growing chance that there’s a doctor in the mall, or at least a Nurse Practitioner. The first Convenient Care Clinic (CCC) opened in 2000. Now there are over 200 of these small clinics located inside pharmacies and busy retail outlets like Wal-Mart. They are open to walk-in patients seven days a week, and boast extended hours. Most are busiest at lunchtime, in the evenings and on the weekends, suggesting that people really are using them at their convenience. Compare that to the typical weeklong wait for an appointment at the family doctor’s office.

CCCs aim to provide convenient, affordable care for a limited range of common ailments, such as colds or flu, minor burns or rashes, sprains, headache, ear infections, allergies and urinary tract infections. They also provide preventative care, including physicals, immunizations, and health screens. Besides the convenience of location, CCCs try to keep waiting times mercifully short and prices low. Treatment at one of these clinics costs from $40-70, plus any tests or immunizations. That can be half the price of a visit to the family doctor, and one-sixth the cost of going to an emergency room. Many insurance plans, as well as Medicare, will accept charges from a CCC, so that patients need only come up with their co-pay.

Costs are kept down in part by offering a streamlined menu of services, which in turn allows them to employ practitioners with less training (and lower salaries) than physicians. Most CCCs are staffed by Nurse Practitioners (NPs) or Physician Assistants (PAs). You may have noticed more of these around in traditional clinics and hospitals as well. An NP is a registered nurse who has advanced training and education (usually a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing), and is thus able to provide a broader range of health services. PAs are licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a physician (who does not necessarily have to be on site). They typically have a bachelor’s degree in medicine. These health professionals are trained to deal with many ordinary health issues, and to refer to others with more advanced training when appropriate. They can diagnose and prescribe medications within the limits of their scope of practice. Patients seem to be pleased with the quality of service provided by these health care professionals.