Massachusetts sets new rules for health clinics in retail stores

The state regulations seek to ensure patient safety, as well as a link to a primary care physician.

By Pamela Lewis Dolan, AMNews staff. Jan. 28, 2008.

Massachusetts has developed a set of guidelines for in-store clinics, becoming what is believed to be the first state to issue specific regulations for the fast-growing market.

The Massachusetts Public Health Council approved the regulations on Jan. 9, with eight members voting for them and five abstaining. The council, which develops regulations for the state's Dept. of Public Health, began its work last year when CVS Corp.-owned MinuteClinic applied for a license to open in-store clinics but asked for several waivers to the state's regulations for traditional medical clinics.

The new regulations cover sanitary conditions in the store-based clinics, as well as requiring that a clinic located in a retail store that sells tobacco products must post a sign saying it does not endorse the use of tobacco.

Many of the regulations, reflecting the concerns of council members, center around who is staffing the clinics, and how the clinic handles emergency and referral situations.

The health department's Division of Health Care Quality must review every application and will look at site plans, and also the applicant's own policies and procedures. The department will also review staff credentials.

The regulations include a requirement that retail clinics must develop policies and procedures for referring patients whose needs exceed the scope of the clinic's services. That includes keeping a roster of primary care physicians accepting new patients so an in-store clinic patient without one may be referred to one. A clinic must have a written plan for how it will deal with repeat patients without a primary doctor.