AMA House of Delegates Adopts Directives on Retail Clinics

The American Medical Association (AMA) has announced that it will call for investigations into potential conflicts of interest posed by joint ventures between store-based health clinics and pharmacy chains. The AMA’s call for investigations was driven by retailers who have stated that store-based health clinics help drive additional store traffic, which can increase sales of lucrative prescription drugs and other non-health related products.

The following directive has been adopted instructing the AMA to:

1. ask the appropriate state and federal agencies to investigate ventures between retail clinics and pharmacy chains with an emphasis on inherent conflicts of interest in such relationships, patients’ welfare and risk, and professional liability concerns.

2. continue to work with interested state and specialty medical societies in developing guidelines for model legislation that regulates the operation of store-based health clinics.

3. oppose waiving any state and/or federal regulations for store-based health clinics that do not comply with existing standards of medical practice facilities.

In separate action, the AMA approved an additional principle that seeks equal treatment for physicians regarding health insurers’ co-payment policies. These financial incentives may inappropriately steer patients to these clinics on the basis of cost rather than quality of care.