Amazon will start using drones to deliver prescription drugs to customers’ homes.
On Wednesday, the company announced that customers in College Station, Texas, will have the option to have their prescriptions delivered by drone within an hour of ordering.
At no additional cost, qualified Amazon Pharmacy customers who choose the drone delivery service will have access to “more than 500 medications that treat common conditions, including the flu, asthma and pneumonia,” the company shared.
“From the first days of medical school, we were taught that there is a golden window that is important in clinical medicine. It’s the time between when a patient feels sick and when they can get treatment,” said Dr. Vin Gupta, chief medical officer of Amazon Pharmacy, in a statement.
He added: “We are working hard at Amazon to dramatically narrow the golden window from diagnosis to treatment, and drone delivery is a significant step forward. Whether it’s an infectious disease or a respiratory disease, early intervention can be key to improving patient outcomes.”
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Amazon Prime Air drone.
Amazon
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According to Amazon, the drones will fly at a height of 40 to 120 meters. When it arrives at the customer’s home, it will descend above the shipping mark. “Computer vision” will then detect whether the path is clear to release the package before returning to the delivery center. Customers should then be able to download packages without having to interact with the device.
“For decades, the customer experience has been to drive to a limited-hours pharmacy, stand in line and publicly discuss their health situation, or wait five to 10 days for traditional mail-order delivery,” said John Love, vice president of Amazon Pharmacy. “With Amazon Pharmacy, you can quickly get the medicine you need—whether by drone or standard delivery—without missing soccer practice or leaving work early.”
Amazon first tested its drone delivery system last December in College Station and Lockeford, California. The company said it plans to expand the service to a third location in the US, as well as cities in Italy and the UK by the end of 2024.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education