In a step towards tackling medical emergencies, e-commerce giant Amazon has started drone delivery of prescription medicines in the US, an Associated Press report says. The delivery will be done within an hour of the request, the report adds. The idea behind the initiative is to minimize the time difference between diagnosis and treatment, as said by Amazon Pharmacy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Vin Gupta.
On Wednesday, October 19, the company explained that the drone will fly to the customer’s address from a delivery facility with a secure pharmacy, descend to a height of roughly four meters (13 feet), and drop a cushioned box. Initially, the company will deliver the services to College Station, Texas. Soon, the company will start drone deliveries to different locations outside the United States, like the United Kingdom and Italy.
Amazon claims that users would be able to select from more than 500 drugs, a list that excludes banned substances but includes popular medications for illnesses like the flu or pneumonia. Drone delivery is not a new concept for Amazon, as it has made thousands of deliveries before and is now expanding to prescription-based medications on customers’ requests.
There have been other companies as well that have tried drone delivery of medications, like the drugstore chain CVS Health. The company tested drone deliveries in North Carolina in 2019 but failed to execute them, as per the spokesperson. Another company, Intermountain Health, began offering drone deliveries of medicines in the Salt Lake City region in 2021.
Amazon also debuted the MK30, a new drone that would, by the end of the year, replace the ones it now uses for package delivery. The company claims that the new drone has improved delivery capabilities, flies farther, is smaller, and is quieter. It can fly as high as 120 meters and makes sure of any possible external variables that can affect the delivery, like pets or children.
