Amazon will soon become the latest company to test drone deliveries for medications, according to the Associated Press. The drone, programmed to fly from a delivery center with a secure pharmacy, will travel to the customer’s address, descend to a height of about four meters, and drop a padded package.
Amazon says customers will be able to choose from more than 500 medications, a list that includes common treatments for conditions like the flu or pneumonia, but not controlled substances.
The company’s Prime Air division began testing drone deliveries of common household items last December in College Station, Texas and Lockeford, California. The company has made thousands of deliveries since launching the service and is expanding it to include prescriptions based in part on customer requests.
Amazon is not the first company to explore prescription deliveries by drone. The drugstore chain CVS Health worked with UPS to test deliveries in 2019 in North Carolina, but that program has ended. Walmart has also been working to expand its own drone deliveries.
Companies seeking to use drones for commercial purposes have faced hurdles from regulators who want to make sure the drones are operating safely.
Amazon says its drones will fly as high as 120 meters, or nearly 400 feet, before slowly descending when they reach the customer’s home. The drone will check to make sure the delivery zone is clear of pets, children, or any other obstructions before dropping the package on a delivery marker.
