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Rite Aid rolls out in-store virtual doctor visits

26.09.2011
One of the nation's leading drug store chains, Rite Aid, has begun rolling out online physician chat rooms in its stores, allowing customers to participate in virtual face-to-face consultations prior to purchases.

Rite Aid today said it worked with healthcare provider OptumHealth to introduce its NowClinic Online Care services, which are currently available at pharmacies in the Detroit area.

The NowClinic offers Rite Aid customers real-time access to medical information and resources from doctors and OptumHealth nurses. Rite Aid said it is the first to provide a virtual clinic in a retail pharmacy setting.

Currently, conversations with nurses are free and a 10-minute consultation with a doctor is $45.

While Rite Aid is the first to offer in-store kiosks, it's not the first to offer virtual physician visits. For example, in upstate New York began offering their members and employers virtual physician visits last year, making New York the fourth state to provide such services. The service allows patients to talk with physicians in real time through a private online chat network or through a voice-over-IP phone call. It also offers video chat and instant messaging.

Other medical facilities throughout the U.S. offer .