MinuteClinic Hits 500th Clinic Mark; New Locations Open in Dallas, Los Angeles and Orlando CVS/pharmacy Stores

MINNEAPOLIS, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- MinuteClinic, the pioneer and largest provider of retail health care in the United States, announced that the company will open its 500th clinic today with the addition of three new health care centers. These locations will open at CVS/pharmacy stores in the Dallas, Los Angeles and Orlando metropolitan areas.

MinuteClinic (www.minuteclinic.com), a subsidiary of CVS Caremark Corporation, is continuing to develop a national network of retail clinics that currently extends to 25 states. MinuteClinic has about four times the number of clinics as its nearest competitor and has sites in twice as many states.

"By offering high quality, affordable medical services to patients in convenient retail locations, we have established one of the largest and fastest growing health care systems in the country," said Michael Howe, MinuteClinic CEO. "We're proud to have seen more than 1.8 million patient visits since our inception. This reflects both the growth in our number of clinics as well as the enthusiastic adoption of this model of care by consumers."

MinuteClinic anticipates opening 150 to 250 additional clinics in 2008.

"Our role in creating a more convenient model for high quality health care delivery is particularly evident this time of year as thousands of patients suffering from colds and flu visit our clinics near their home, school or office or while traveling on business or vacation," said James Hartert, M.D., MinuteClinic Chief Medical Officer. "We're able to offer patients and families needed relief for those times when it may be difficult to access other options for care."

MinuteClinic has distinguished itself as the first and only retail clinic provider to achieve accreditation from The Joint Commission, the national evaluation and certifying agency for nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States

Health care centers are staffed by board-certified practitioners who are trained to diagnose, treat and prescribe medication when it is part of the treatment plan for common family illnesses such as strep throat, sinusitis and bronchitis. MinuteClinic also offers common vaccinations, such as flu shots, tetanus, pneumonia, MMR and Hepatitis A & B.

With every patient visit, MinuteClinic practitioners stress the importance of a medical home. If a patient doesn't have a primary care provider, MinuteClinic provides a list of physicians in the area who are accepting new patients. Practitioners use a software program that at the conclusion of each visit, generates educational material, an invoice and a prescription (when clinically appropriate) for the patient, as well as a diagnostic record that is automatically sent to the patient's primary care provider's office (with the patient's consent) to facilitate continuity of care.

Most MinuteClinic locations are open seven days a week, no appointment needs to be made in advance and visits typically take 10-15 minutes. For most patients, MinuteClinic will accept as payment the office visit co-pay indicated on their health insurance card. Patients paying cash or credit will find treatment prices posted outside each health care center. Most treatments at MinuteClinic cost $59.

MinuteClinic health care centers are located in Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, the New York City tri-state area, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia/New Jersey, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, San Diego, Seattle, South Florida, Tampa Bay, Tucson, Winston-Salem/Greensboro and the Maryland and Virginia suburbs of the Nation's Capital.

About MinuteClinic

Minneapolis-based MinuteClinic is a subsidiary of CVS Caremark Corporation NYSE: CVS, the No. 1 provider of prescriptions and related health care services in the nation. MinuteClinic launched the first retail health care centers in the United States in 2000 and is the first provider to establish a national presence with 500 locations across the country. By creating a health care delivery model that responds to consumer demand, MinuteClinic makes access to high-quality medical treatment easier for more Americans. The company has generated more than one 1.8 million patient visits, with a 99 percent customer satisfaction rating. A recognized leader in the patient- centric health care movement, MinuteClinic consistently brings innovation to the marketplace and sets new standards for clinical quality that exceed the national guidelines established for store-based clinics by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). MinuteClinic is the first and only retail health care provider to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission, the national evaluation and certifying agency for nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. For more information, visit www.MinuteClinic.com