This paper proposes that co-located retail clinics (RCs) and community pharmacies\ncan increase opportunities to provide more accessible, affordable, and patient-friendly primary\ncare services in the United States. RCs are small businesses of about 150-250 square feet with\na clientele of about 10-30 patients each day and most frequently staffed by nurse practitioners\n(NPs). Community pharmacies in the U.S. at approximately equal to 67,000 far outnumber RCs \nat approximately equal to 2800, thereby opening substantial opportunity for growth. Community \npharmacies and pharmacists have been working to increase on-site clinical services, but progress\n has been slowed by the relative isolation from other practitioners. An ideal merged facility based on\n an integrated platform is proposed. NPs and pharmacists could share functions that fulfill documented\n consumer preferences and still maintain separate practice domains. Potential benefits include a broader\n inventory of clinical services including laboratory tests, immunizations, patient education, and physical \nassessment, as well as better patient access, inter professional training opportunities, and economies \nrelated to the use of resources, day-to-day operations, and performance metrics. Challenges include the \navailability of suffcient, appropriately trained staff; limitations imposed by scope of practice and other laws;\n forging of collaborative relationships between NPs and pharmacists; and evidence that the merged\n operations provide economic benefits beyond those of separate enterprises.
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