In-Store Clinics Should Not Replace Your Pediatrician

In many states, shoppers at local drug or discount stores may find themselves standing next to a health care clinic.

These in-store clinics, also known as retail-based clinics, are often staffed by physician's assistants and nurse practitioners who, in a normal medical office setting, would practice alongside a physician.

However in the case of retail-based clinics, some states do not require that the supervising physician be on-site during the diagnosis and treatment of many illnesses.

Staff at these clinics might not be trainied in pediatrics and the risks certainly outweigh the benefits.

Featuring:

Dr. Kristen Walsh, MD

Kristen Walsh, M.D., F.A.A.P. is a pediatrician in private practice in Chester, NJ. She is the Child Care Contact for the state of New Jersey for the American Academy of Pediatrics a liaison between child care providers, state government, and the AAP. She is also on the Executive Committee of the AAP's New Jersey chapter. She volunteers as the school physician for the Somerset Hills Learning Institute, a school for autistic children in Bedminster, NJ.