Amazon, the e-commerce giant is planning to introduce prescription drug deliveries via drones, becoming the latest company to explore the use of drone technology for the distribution of medications, reported AP.
In a post on youtube on October 18, Amazon revealed that residents of College Station, Texas can opt for drone-based prescription deliveries, with a promised delivery time of one hour from the moment they place their order.
A drone will be dispatched from a secure pharmacy delivery centre to customer’s designated address. The drone will descend to a height of around 13 feet and release a padded package containing the prescription at its destination.
Amazon’s drone deliveries will cover over 500 medications, covering a range of common treatments like flu and pneumonia. Controlled substances won’t be part of the offerings.
Amazon’s Prime Air division initiated testing of drone deliveries for everyday household items in December last year starting with College Station and Lockeford, California. An Amazon spokesperson Jessica Bardoulas said the company executed thousands of deliveries since the launch of this service. The expansion to prescription drug deliveries comes in response to customer requests.
Amazon also revealed plans to extend its drone delivery services to a third location in the United States as well as several cities in Italy and the United Kingdom by the end of the following year.
Amazon Prime already offers medication deliveries from the company’s pharmacy within two days. However, the new drone delivery service will cater to patients with acute illnesses, such as the flu. “What we’re trying to do is figure out how can we bend the curve on speed,” Vice President John Love said.
Chief Medical Officer of Amazon Pharmacy, Dr. Vin Gupta said that the healthcare system in the United States typically encounters challenges in diagnosing and treating acute illnesses quickly, a situation that became particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reducing the time between diagnosis and treatment can enhance the effectiveness of many treatments.
(With inputs from AP)
“Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels 🚀 Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!” Click here!
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Updated: 19 Oct 2023, 06:53 AM IST