When medical issues come calling, good timing usually isn’t very high on their list of priorities. Sometimes illness can strike at a bad time, or when your primary care physician’s office isn’t open, and that can be a problem.

In those situations, urgent care centers are an important resource for many. While they cannot replace the services and comprehensive, long-term care that your primary care physician provides, they will be there for you when the doctor’s office is closed. If you’ve never been to a walk in clinic, here is a short list of services that they can provide.

Treatment of Common Illnesses and Injuries

The biggest service offered by urgent care facilities is the treatment of common, non life-threatening illnesses and injuries. For instance, if you feel the flu or a common cold coming on and simply want a diagnosis and treatment options, urgent care is a great place to go. Other common issues treated include non-life threatening allergic reactions, cuts and burns, falls and sprains, as well as pink eye and other infections.

Laboratory Services

Most urgent care centers also offer a variety of laboratory services to offer additional help and better diagnosis to patients. The laboratory services offered by urgent care facilities are the same services offered in an emergency room or through your primary care physician, and are often more affordable. In addition to blood work, other services may include include x-rays and CAT scans.

Preventative Care

In addition to all of the above services, urgent care centers also provide a wide variety of routine preventative items on their list. So if you can’t make it to your primary care physician for flu shots, an urgent care center has you covered. Urgent care centers also offer regular physicals, gynecological exams, and drug screenings in addition to flu shots as preventative care.

There’s no good time for illness or injury to strike, and it usually strikes at a not-so-good time. However, with all of the services that urgent care centers provide, there should be no problem if you can’t make it to the doctor’s office.