What happened to walk-in medical centers?

For the last week, I've had a cold and now it seems like I have a sinus infection. I couldn't sleep for a long time last night because there was so much pressure in the right sinus. It seems like it's gotten a little better, but I'm probably going to have to see a doctor pretty soon and maybe get some antibiotics.
For medical attention, I have two options: 1) Make an appointment with my primary care physician (a $10 copay), which will probably mean I'll have to wait until Monday or Thursday (Tuesday is a holiday and the office is closed on Wednesdays) or go to an emergency room ($50 copay).
I remember in the '80s when I was in high school and college, there were walk-in centers, where you could see a doctor about something that didn't really qualify as worthy of an emergency room visit. What I have now would seem to be that sort of thing, but it doesn't seem like there are any walk-in places around anymore.
What happened to them?

 

Is there any way this can be moved to Anything Goes? I put it here by mistake.

 

Those places are everywhere where I live.

 

I don't know if it's good or bad, but my PCP's office often prescribes me common antibiotics/meds over the phone instead of making me come in for a diagnosis. I just go to my local Walgreen's to pick it up, and don't have to waste my or their time at the doctor's office.

 

I have several of those walk-in clinics around me. I think they're only $10 copay for me. I've used them a time or two.

 

Oh, and $15 copay here. Since we're sharing and all.

 

Yeah, my place too. They have an after-hours nurse who can handle simple problems over the phone and prescribe stuff like antibiotics. Call your doc's line after hours and see if it gives you that option.

 

Jesus, I gotta move out to your neck of the woods (Arnold shrieks and tells his new wife they have to move ).

My wife has a pretty good relationship with her doctor, whose husband basically saved her life in 1999 when he identified her rare blood disorder and got her on the right treatment in a hurry. But even we can't call up and just get antibiotics over the phone. They always want to see us, so we can waste two hours sitting in the waiting room with other coughing wheezing sneezing people and then another hour in the examination room.

What I can do, if my wife is going to see her for something, is get her to write me a prescription for my hand cream. go figure, right? That's saved me several trips to the dermatologist. "yeah you still have the same skin ailment you had before, here's a prescription for the same medicine." Thanks. Here's 25 dollars for telling me what I already knew. So I guess it's not all bad.

I don't think we have a walk-in clinic here. I'd choose that everyday of the week if we had one.

 

Call in sick and spend the afternoon watching Judge Judy and Jerry Springer on your local UHF station. You should see an ad for every K-Clinic, PrimaCare, etc. in your area. And if that doesn't work, go get in a car wreck and call Jim Adler. He'll send a car to take you to the doctor.