Amazon Tests Drone Drug Delivery in Texas, Expands to More Locations
Amazon is joining the race to revolutionize drug delivery by testing drone deliveries in College Station, Texas. The e-commerce giant announced on Wednesday that customers in the area can now receive prescriptions within an hour of placing their order, thanks to the company’s Prime Air division. The drones, programmed to fly from a secure pharmacy delivery center, will descend to a height of about four meters and drop a padded package at the customer’s address.
According to Amazon, customers will have access to more than 500 medications, including common treatments for illnesses such as the flu or pneumonia. However, controlled substances will not be available for delivery via drones. Since launching the service last year, Amazon claims to have made thousands of successful drone deliveries in College Station and Lockeford, California.
Not content with just two locations, Amazon announced its plans to expand drone delivery services to a third location in the United States, as well as cities in Italy and the UK next year. The exact locations will be revealed in the coming months. Currently, Amazon Prime already delivers medications from the company’s pharmacy within two days. However, this timeframe may not be suitable for individuals with acute illnesses who require immediate treatment.
Dr. Vin Gupta, chief medical officer at Amazon Pharmacy, believes that reducing the time between diagnosis and treatment for acute illnesses is crucial in improving patient outcomes. He notes that the US healthcare system has often struggled in this area, as highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic. By utilizing drone deliveries, Amazon aims to speed up the process and provide more effective treatments.
While Amazon is not the first company to explore drone delivery of prescriptions, it is one of the largest players to enter the field. CVS Health previously tested deliveries in partnership with UPS in 2019, but the program ended. Intermountain Health has been successfully using drones to deliver prescriptions in the Salt Lake City area since 2021, with plans to expand. They have partnered with Zipline, a logistics company that utilizes parachute drops for package delivery.
However, companies looking to utilize drones for commercial purposes have faced challenges from regulatory bodies concerned about safety. Despite Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ prediction a decade ago that drone deliveries would be commonplace by 2018, the technology is still only utilized in limited markets.
Lisa Ellman, executive director of the Commercial Drone Alliance, acknowledges the progress made so far but highlights the need for broader regulatory approvals to fully utilize the potential of drone delivery. Amazon is among the members of the industry group and shares the goal of expanding the scope and usefulness of drone deliveries.
With Amazon’s foray into drone delivery services for prescriptions, the future of healthcare is set to take flight. As technology and regulatory approvals evolve, we can look forward to more efficient and timely medical deliveries that benefit patients in need.