Amazon to begin delivering prescriptions by drone

Last December, Amazon's Prime Air division began offering drone deliveries of common household goods in a few select areas. Now, the company is testing out drone deliveries of prescription medications.

Through Prime Air, customers in College Station, Texas, will be able to request delivery of over 500 medications, which include treatments for flu, asthma, and pneumonia, and receive them within an hour of placing an order.

According to Amazon, the drones fly at an altitude between 40 and 120 meters where there's minimal obstacles. They also have built-in sensors and cameras to help them navigate around power lines, people, and pets. After checking to make sure a delivery zone is clear of any obstacles, the drone will drop the prescription on a delivery marker. If obstacles are detected, the drone will make another delivery attempt at a later time.

"Our drones fly over traffic, eliminating the excess time a customer's package might spend in transit on the road," said Calsee Hendrickson, director of product and program management at Prime Air. "That's the beauty of drone delivery, and medications were the first thing our customers said they also want delivered quickly via drone. Speed and convenience top the wish list for health purchases."

Other companies have also tested out using drones for prescription deliveries. For example, CVS Health partnered with UPS to offer prescription drone deliveries in North Carolina in 2019, but the program has since ended. Separately, Intermountain Health partnered with logistics company Zipline in 2021 to provide drone deliveries in the Salt Lake City area and is currently working to expand the program. 

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According to Amazon Pharmacy CMO Vin Gupta, the U.S. healthcare system typically struggles to treat acute illnesses quickly, but drone deliveries can help narrow the window between diagnosis and treatment, improving patient care.

"We're taught from the first days of medical school that there is a golden window that matters in clinical medicine," Gupta said. "That's the time between when a patient feels unwell and when they're able to get treatment. We're working hard at Amazon to dramatically narrow the golden window from diagnosis to treatment, and drone delivery marks a significant step forward. Whether it's an infectious disease or respiratory illness, early intervention can be critical to improving patient outcomes."

Aside from drone deliveries, Amazon also offers its Prime members free two-day delivery on their first order of a medication, as well as an option for automatic monthly deliveries for prescription refills. The company also offers same-day medication deliveries in certain cities, including Austin, Indianapolis, Miami, Phoenix, and Seattle.

"For decades, the customer experience has been to drive to a pharmacy with limited operating hours, stand in line, and have a public conversation about your health situation, or to wait five-to-10 days for traditional mail-order delivery," said John Love, VP of Amazon Pharmacy. "With Amazon Pharmacy, you can quickly get the medications you need—whether by drone or standard delivery—without having to miss soccer practice or leave work early."

"We're making the process of getting the acute and chronic medications customers need easier, faster, and more affordable," Love added. "Rapid delivery changes the prescription delivery paradigm from days to minutes, and represents a dramatic improvement over what patients are used to." (Murphy/Hadero, Associated Press, 10/18; Roush, Forbes, 10/18; Capoot, CNBC, 10/18; Reed, Axios, 10/18; Amazon news release, 10/18)

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