Marketing and all things related

Now you might think that your neighborhood Doctor has a stable practice, and you would be wrong—naturally. As it turns outs, doctors, hospitals, and clinics are anxious regarding the emergence of retail health clinics like MinuteClinic. MinuteClinic, recently acquired by CVS pharmacy, has 93 clinic stations inside retail locations like CVS pharmacies and Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart expects to have 50 in-store clinics by the end of 2007. Rite-Aid Pharmacy is opening clinics as well, in partnership with a company called Lindora. Target has decided to open eight in-store clinics under their own brand name in Minneapolis stores. (Target was planning to partner with MinuteClinic before the CVS acquisition.) We learned from Media Post Publications (free registration required) that this growing health care venue has already spanned a trade magazine called Retail Clinician. The magazine predicts there will be about 800 in-store health clinics in place by the end of this year and 3,000 available by year end 2007. Consumers are responding favorably to the new health care option; especially will regards to receive flu vaccinations. Marketing Blurb believes it will be possible to be born, live and die inside a Wal-Mart store before the end of the century.