Amazon (AMZN) launches pharmacy drone deliveries

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) revealed Wednesday that its customers in College Station, Texas, can now receive medications delivered via drones.

The tech powerhouse, which has been pushing into the healthcare industry, said Amazon Pharmacy customers in the area can get their medications delivered in 60 minutes or less via the drone method.

The medication can be dropped outside customers' doors via the drone delivery service at no additional cost, with pharmacists ensuring medications are loaded and transported to a customer's home within an hour of the order.

"We’re working hard at Amazon to dramatically narrow the golden window from diagnosis to treatment, and drone delivery marks a significant step forward," said Dr. Vin Gupta, chief medical officer of Amazon Pharmacy.

The drones fly at an altitude of 40 to 120 meters, and their built-in sense-and-avoid technology uses sensors and cameras to navigate around objects.

Once they arrive at the customer’s home, the drone lowers itself above a delivery marker, and when the delivery zone is clear, it will release the package. The Amazon Pharmacy customers do not have any interaction with the drone.

“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.

By Sam Boughedda

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