Amazon is set to launch a new initiative, testing the use of drones for delivering prescription drugs to customers. This service will be available in College Station, Texas, where customers can receive their prescriptions within an hour of ordering. Here’s what you need to know:
The delivery process involves a drone flying from a secure pharmacy-based delivery center to the customer’s address. The drone will descend to a height of about 13 feet (4 meters) and drop off a padded package.
Customers will have access to more than 500 medications, covering common treatments for various conditions like the flu or pneumonia. However, controlled substances will not be included in the list.
Amazon’s Prime Air division initiated testing for drone deliveries of everyday household items in College Station and Lockeford, California, in December, with thousands of deliveries made. Expanding the service to include prescription medications is partly in response to customer requests.
While Amazon Pharmacy already offers medication deliveries within two days, this drone service aims to speed up the delivery process, particularly for customers with acute illnesses like the flu.
Amazon’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Vin Gupta, emphasized that the U.S. healthcare system often faces challenges in diagnosing and treating patients quickly, and narrowing the window between diagnosis and treatment can improve the effectiveness of many treatments.
Amazon isn’t the first company to explore prescription deliveries via drones. CVS Health worked with UPS for a similar test in 2019 but has since concluded the program. Intermountain Health started offering drone deliveries of prescriptions in the Salt Lake City area in 2021 and is expanding the service with the help of logistics company Zipline.
Regulatory approvals have been a hurdle for companies looking to use drones for commercial purposes. Amazon, which had previously envisioned drone deliveries in 2018, is currently testing the technology in only two markets.
Amazon’s drones will fly as high as 400 feet (120 meters) and will carefully assess the delivery zone for obstructions, such as pets or children, before safely dropping the package at a designated delivery marker.
Amazon has been progressively expanding its presence in the healthcare sector, including acquiring primary care provider One Medical and offering video telemedicine visits in all 50 U.S. states.
The company has expressed hopes to expand this drone delivery program to other markets, but a specific timeline for the expansion has not been provided.
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