AMA Wants Probe of Pharmacy-Based Health Clinics

In a related vote, the AMA also passed a resolution that seeks equal insurance co-payments for in-store clinics and doctors' offices. A difference is co-payments could steer patients to the clinics on the basis of cost rather than quality of care, the AMA said.

"There have been examples of insurance companies waiving or lowering the co-pay for patients who go to retail store clinics, but not offering that same waiving or lowering to patients who are seen in a physician's office," Carmel said. "We feel by doing that, insurance companies are steering patients to retail clinics and, in a sense of equity, it should be a level field between the retail clinic and the physician's office."

The AMA took several other votes during its annual meeting. They included:

A vote to lobby for laws allowing severely allergic children to bring lifesaving medicine to school. The recommendation refers to medicines such as epinephrine and other injectable drugs that treat severe allergic reactions called anaphylaxis, which can cause swelling, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness and death, theAssociated Pressreported.

Currently, many school districts prohibit children from bringing medicine to school and 18 states have similar bans, according to Dr. Duane Cady, a member of the AMA's Board of Trustees.

A vote to adopt a policy endorsing the use of radio frequency identification tags (RFIDs), which store essential medical information under the skin of patients. The devices, the size of a grain of rice, are implanted with a needle and could give emergency room doctors quick access to the records of chronically ill patients, theAPreported.

The main concern surrounding the devices is protecting the privacy of the stored information.

More information

For more information, visit the American Medical Association.

SOURCES: Peter Carmel, M.D., member board of trustees, American Medical Association, chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery, New Jersey Medical School, Newark; Michael Polzin, spokesman, Walgreens; June 26, 2007, statement, Convenient Care Association, Philadelphia;Associated Press