UPS and CVS To Use Drones For Dropping Off Prescriptions

Even though COVID-19 shut off most services, it’s providing a boon for various tech start-ups – drones included.

UPS and CVS just announced that they will start testing drone deliveries for medical prescriptions in Florida, using Matternet M2 drones.

The pilot program already has an FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) authorization and will start in early May.

Initially, the drones will fly for less than half a mile, dropping off prescriptions to a pickup location for the residents of The Villages retirement community.

Then, an UPS truck will complete the last leg of the trip and deliver the medicine to the resident’s door.

UPS has already tested some drone deliveries in North Carolina but for CVS this is a novelty.

One CVS store will participate in this Florida pilot program, which should give the rest of them time enough to figure the essentials out – like how to make the receipts shorter than the length of the trip, maybe.

“Our new drone delivery service will help CVS provide safe and efficient deliveries of medicines to this large retirement community, enabling residents to receive medications without leaving their homes,” said an UPS representative in a statement.