Turn retail clinic competition into practice advantages

How independent practices can deliver the same convenience as retail clinics — and much more

The rise of retail clinics that are embedded inside pharmacies, supermarkets, and big-box stores has reshaped how many Americans access care. Retail clinics have expanded rapidly over the past decade, with more than 1,700 locations now operating across the U.S., with almost all — 96% — located in urban areas.¹

For patients seeking convenience, low-cost visits, and walk-in availability, these retail medical clinics often feel like the new front door to healthcare. This rapid expansion of the retail healthcare market has changed patient expectations about access and speed while putting a strain on independent practices.

However, beneath the convenience of retail clinics lies a complex reality. The profit-driven nature of many retail clinics can create inconsistent access to care across communities (meaning care availability is shaped more by market opportunity than by community needs), particularly in lower-margin or rural communities. At the same time, care provided at retail clinics is often not fully connected to a patient’s overall medical records, which raises the risk of gaps, duplication, and fragmentation in their healthcare. Meanwhile, independent practices face pressure as retail players siphon off low-acuity visits, which threatens both continuity of care and financial sustainability.

For independent and community practices, that pressure does not have to mean defeat. By leveraging connected EHR networks and modern interoperability, practices can help streamline access, coordinate care across settings, and meet rising patient expectations without sacrificing long-term relationships. Connected EHR platforms can help practices unify clinical data, reduce administrative friction, and support coordinated workflows. This positions independent practices to compete on convenience with retail clinics while preserving continuity and clinical oversight.

Understanding the rise of retail clinics

Across the U.S., retail clinics have surged in number. As of mid-2024, there were about 1,733 active retail health clinics operating across 43 states.1 Industry forecasts suggest the retail healthcare market is expanding rapidly. Some analyses estimate that the U.S. retail clinic pharmacy market — valued at roughly $1.4 billion in 2024 — could more than double in the coming decade.²

Patients favor retail clinics for these specific reasons:

• Convenient walk-in access with little to no need for advance appointment scheduling
• Extended operating hours, including evenings and weekends, providing greater flexibility for patients with work or other daytime commitments
• Clear, upfront pricing with fixed fees that are generally lower than traditional providers for common minor conditions
• Locations within familiar retail settings — such as pharmacies, supermarkets, or big-box stores — that minimize travel time and make healthcare more accessible

Retail clinics' blend of medical care and retail convenience has raised expectations. Consumers increasingly compare independent practices to the walk-in experience these models deliver. As a result, patients may opt for retail clinics for episodic needs, even when they have an established primary care provider. This contributes to lower foot traffic for independent practices and further fragments the patient journey.

Retail convenience is reshaping patient expectations

For many patients, retail clinics have reset what care should look like. Patients now may expect a quick check-in with a fast resolution that is similar to how they shop for everyday goods. This shift in expectations raises the stakes for independent practices that risk losing patients without comparable convenience.

When comparing care settings, convenience is often the first thing patients evaluate. Over time, if practices do not evolve, they may find their traditional strengths overshadowed by patients' demand for speed.

Missed opportunities for coordinated care

When convenience becomes the primary focus by visiting retail clinics for quick care and independent practices for serious or chronic issues, the relationship between patient and primary clinician risks weakening. This may undercut some of community practices' biggest strength, which is coordinated care.

Since data often does not follow patients across care settings, independent practices may lack insight into patients' interim visits, lab results, or treatment changes. This can lead to gaps, duplicative care, and even errors.

Misperceptions about equality of care

Patients may assume retail clinics, walk-in clinics, or urgent care centers provide comparable care to a full-service primary practice. While retail clinics can offer convenience, they rarely provide the continuity, care coordination, or long-term oversight that independent practices deliver.

As a result, community clinicians risk being undervalued because convenience has become the main consideration for many patients.

The limits of a profit-driven retail care model: Uneven access and risk of service loss

Since retail clinics are driven by profitability, they tend to concentrate in urban, higher-density, and higher-income areas. As of 2024, nearly all retail clinics are in urban or metropolitan regions, and clinics in rural areas remain rare.³

Independent practices are often the only consistent source of care in rural and underserved areas. When retail clinics bypass these communities or exit markets due to financial pressures, local practices are left to absorb patient demand without the resources or visibility of national retail brands. In these cases, technology, particularly connected EHR platforms, plays a crucial role in helping these practices remain viable, competitive, and accessible.

For example, in April 2023 Walmart announced closures of their in-store health centers, citing unsustainable costs and reimbursement challenges.⁴ Although a retail clinic pharmacy may seem like a broad-access solution, its profit-first model can undermine equitable, long-term access, especially for vulnerable populations.

Fragmented, episodic care rather than continuity

Retail clinics are best suited for providing episodic, low-acuity care, focusing on short-term, minor health issues rather than ongoing or complex medical management. In other words, they are not built for chronic disease management, long-term follow-up, or holistic care. This model inherently deprioritizes continuity.

When patients use retail clinics for episodic visits and independent practices for ongoing health issues, their care becomes fragmented. Important medical history may become siloed, follow-up can be inconsistent, and coordination across multiple sites becomes burdensome.

For example, a woman with diabetes may visit a retail clinic over the weekend for an acute issue, receive treatment that is not fully shared with her primary care provider, and then return to her regular clinician without a complete record of what occurred.

This fragmentation is particularly risky for patients with complex needs, chronic disease, or conditions that require coordination across specialties. These patient groups have traditionally been served by independent practices who prioritize continuity and comprehensive care.

Increased pressure on independent practices

Retail clinics have siphoned off a significant portion of low-acuity, high-volume care, with utilization increasing by 200% over the past five years — outpacing growth in urgent care centers, primary care practices, and hospital emergency rooms. Studies have shown that retail clinics capture a disproportionately high share of visits for conditions such as upper respiratory infections, minor injuries, and vaccinations compared to traditional primary care settings, reflecting their focus on low-acuity, high-volume care. For example, 2022 research shows that 38.8% of retail visits were for immunization.⁵ These services once accounted for a meaningful share of primary care visit volume. Without these visits, small and community-based practices may struggle to stay financially viable. This is a particular concern in areas already underserved or in lower-income regions.

For independent practices, losing the steady volume of visits can mean fewer resources to invest in staff, technology, or expansion. All these factors can put their long-term sustainability at risk.

Interoperability and connected EHR networks: A lifeline for community care

While community practices may not match everything retail clinics offer, modern interoperability tools can deliver many of the same advantages if used effectively. By leveraging connected EHR networks, practices can respond directly to the convenience expectations set by retail clinics while preserving continuity of care. Modern EHR platforms enable independent practices to offer:

• Online scheduling and appointment management, reducing friction for patients who might otherwise choose walk-in retail options
• Faster check-ins and digital intake, shortening wait times and administrative touchpoints
• Seamless data access across care settings, helping clinicians stay informed even when patients receive episodic care elsewhere
• Better coordination across specialists and pharmacies, reinforcing the practice's role as the central hub of patient care
• Mobile access for patients to health information and care management, giving patients convenient, on-the-go access to appointments, messaging, test results, and billing — matching the accessibility expectations set by retail clinics

Modern EHR tools help independent practices remain attractive to patients seeking convenience without undermining long-term relationships or care continuity.

How interoperability can empower independent practices

Community practices leveraging a connected EHR network can benefit from nationwide data and intelligent interoperability that helps them compete directly with retail clinics on access. Key differentiators include:

• Secure, real-time data exchange with hospitals, labs, specialists, and pharmacies, allowing practices to maintain a complete clinical picture even when patients seek care elsewhere
• Tools to identify and close care gaps, helping practices proactively manage patients who receive episodic retail care
• Compliance with FHIR and TEFCA standards, which supports broader data sharing and reduces fragmentation across the healthcare ecosystem
• Support for both routine and complex workflows, enabling practices to extend hours, offer convenient scheduling, and improve digital access (areas where retail clinics traditionally compete)

With these tools, community practices set themselves up to compete with retail clinics by offering comprehensive, coordinated, and accessible care. Interoperability can reduce the retail advantage by ensuring that convenience does not come at the expense of clinical insight, continuity, or long-term patient outcomes. These are strengths that independent practices are uniquely positioned to deliver.

Ways that policy can level the playing field

National initiatives around interoperability, including the adoption of FHIR and TEFCA frameworks, are pushing all care sites toward greater data exchange. As regulations strengthen, the value of connected EHR networks will likely increase. This can potentially lead to a reduction of the data silos that disproportionately give retail chains an advantage.

Independent practices that adapt can remain essential care anchors

As demand for convenient access persists, independent practices that embrace interoperability, flexible scheduling, and connected workflows can better meet patient expectations. At the same time, they can preserve the continuity, equity, and comprehensive care that retail clinics cannot match — including the irreplaceable value of having a clinical provider who knows your history, has treated you before, and understands your unique health needs.

Delivering connected, equitable care — no matter where patients start

Retail clinics have redefined convenience in American healthcare, offering walk-in treatment, extended hours, and low-cost access for millions. However, the tradeoffs, such as uneven access, care fragmentation, and long-term instability, reveal significant limitations in a profit-driven model.

Independent practices, supported by robust, connected EHR networks like athenaOne®, are well positioned to deliver the best of both worlds. By offering digital convenience and care coordination, they can meet patients' demands while retaining the trusted relationships, continuity, and community commitment that define quality primary care.

Explore how connected EHR networks help independent practices compete.