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Doctors say primary care is growing fragmented and turning into more of a commodity, with physician access based on what consumers will pay…the role of primary care has diminished ... and I don't see encouraging signs that it is having a renaissance,.. the result of technology and competition creating more convenient options for care that does not require an in-person doctor visit… changes have helped make basic care more accessible to patients and lowered the cost per visit for many consumers… Patients are opting for drugstore clinics over doctor's offices, and many will soon start wondering why they even need to leave the house when smartphone apps let them chat live with a physician.

Prescription revenues provide insight on the power of top retail pharmacy businesses.If you’re curious to know how the retail pharmacy giants stack up against one another on prescription sales, here are the top 5 pharmacy chains based on 2014 figures:

1. CVS Health $48 billion in Rx revenues, $88.4 billion in pharmacy services revenue
2. Walgreens $49 billion
3. Express Scripts $38 billion
4. Walmart $18.8 billion
5. Rite Aid $18 billion

"Jiffy" health care clinics represent one of the fastest-growing sectors of the health care industry, providing quick, convenient, and affordable primary care services without the long waits and higher costs of traditional family practices…In-and-out health clinics exist in states across the country and are often located inside pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens, as well as in grocery stores and large retail stores…more than ever, patients are looking for convenient and inexpensive ways to receive care, and the model utilized by in-and-out health facilities offers a seemingly perfect solution.

Walgreens will pay a $500,000 settlement concerning a civil complaint that the retail pharmacy giant was not compliant with California regulations related to pharmacist consultations… noncompliant with rules requiring pharmacists to perform consultations with patients receiving new prescriptions or new dosages…

CVS opened its first local Minute Clinic in 2007 in its pharmacy on the Strip near the Monte Carlo. To date, it has 11 Minute Clinics throughout Nevada, eight in Las Vegas and three in the Reno/Sparks area. All clinics are open seven days a week with weekend and early evening hours available...Walgreens has 13 clinics in the Las Vegas area, none in Northern Nevada. And like CVS, its clinics are open seven days a week with similar hours of operation. From 50 clinics in 2007, the pharmacy has grown that number to 400 nationally.