Flu clinics sponsored by retail pharmacy at the workplace to triple by 2017

MENTOR, Ohio — The number of drugstore sponsored flu clinics sponsored at the workplace is expected to triple by 2017, WorkPlace Impact recently shared with Drug Store News. Already in 2014, WorkPlace Impact delivered flu shot clinic leads from 10,000 businesses employing more than 750,000 working consumers to its pharmacy clients.

 

"This year has been a banner year for our flu shot clinics. The drug stores we work with attribute this year’s strong uptake to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, which covers a greater percentage of flu shots than ever before," said Shelly Sekki, WorkPlace Impact president. "Consumers are also increasingly getting flu shots outside of a doctor’s office, in a location that is most convenient for their busy schedules. And nothing is more convenient than getting a flu shot at work."

 

The growth in drug-store sponsored flu clinics at the job site is a part of a larger trend of businesses taking ownership of employee health and wellness, Sekki suggested. "Today’s most sought-after employers know that they can attract and retain the best talent while reducing health-related drains on efficiency through actively promoting employee wellness. In return, today’s labor force really values perks like gym benefits and health incentives; setting up a flu shot clinic in an office really signals to employees that their employer cares about the health of them and their families."

 

And many of those employees take advantage of the flu clinics when they're offered. "We estimate that 50% of employees at the participating businesses get the shot during these clinics," Sekki said. "This high percentage doesn’t surprise us because we’ve seen a continued growth in number of businesses responding to our clients' flu shot programs. Each of the past two years has seen a 20% increase in response from human resource managers interested in signing up for our flu shot programs."