Health Clinics In Big Box Stores Proliferating

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- Now when some shoppers visit big box retail stores, they can be treated for strep throat or vaccinated for the flu.<br/><br/>Wal-Mart Stores chief executive officer Lee Scott

Monday, June 5th 2006, 6:16 am

By: News On 6

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) -- Now when some shoppers visit big box retail stores, they can be treated for strep throat or vaccinated for the flu.

Wal-Mart Stores chief executive officer Lee Scott announced this year that the world's largest retailer will lease space to 50 more health clinics by the end of this year.

That's after Wal-Mart already had opened clinics in 11 stores in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Indiana and Florida.

Wal-Mart rival Target opened in-store clinics in 2004, before Wal-Mart. And this year, CVS convinced MinuteClinic -- which served the Target stores -- to jump ship and move its clinics to CVS stores.

Michael Howe is the chief executive of MinuteClinic and predicts 500 to 800 clinics from different providers will open in stores by year's end.