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I just returned from my first visit to a CVS MinuteClinic.   The King of Prussia location had the H1N1 vaccine and I still have not been immunized.  This type of office visit is new to me and probably is to many others so I wanted to write about my experience.

First, what is a MinuteClinic?  Well, it is a small medical office (I don’t want to say Doctors office, because it is not staffed by a Doctor) inside select CVS locations.  They provide various medical services ranging from the generic cough/cold assistance to minor injuries, skin conditions, and vaccinations. The marketing blurb I read while waiting my turn (there was one gentleman in front of me) listed the following benefits:

• Quick (about 15-minute visits and no appointment needed).
• Affordable (treatments between $30 and $110, and reimbursed by most insurance plans).
• Convenient (open 7 days a week, located near pharmacies).

My opinion?

Great!  I walked up to the clinic entrance and was greeted by a computer kiosk.  I followed the directions on the screen, where it asked what I was there for, a brief medical history,  my name, address, phone, etc and it told me to wait.  I waited maybe 10 minutes before my name was called.

The nurse practitioner on duty was friendly, knowledgeable and went right to work.  She took my insurance card, took my temperature and 10 minutes later I was vaccinated.  I spend another 10-15 minutes talking to her about the clinic, the variety of services it performed and other minor questions.  She didn’t have another person waiting for service so this was not a problem.  She mentioned that particular MinuteClinic had plenty of H1N1 doses.

So, my brief review of the CVS MinuteClinic is a good one.  Great service, quick attention and very convenient.  My $15 shot was even covered by insurance, so the only cash out of my pocket was for the candy bar on the way out.  I would certainly recommend it for minor ailments, vaccinations or any other non-emergency situations.

Here are some important links regarding the CVS MinuteClinic:

• CVS MinuteClinics in the area
• Services and Costs
• And to make sure the local competition gets a nod, Walgreens also has a similar service called Take Care Clinic, which is based in Conshohocken.