UPS Will Use Drones To Deliver CVS Prescription Medications To Residents Of The Villages
ORLANDO (CBSMiami) - Residents of Florida's largest retirement enclave will soon be getting their prescriptions from drones.
UPS Flight Forward, a subsidiary of the United Parcel Service, said they will use their Matternet M2 quadcopters to deliver prescription medicines from a CVS pharmacy to The Villages, which is home to more than 135,000 residents.
The new service begins in early May under the Federal Aviation Administration's Part 107 rules, with the authority to operate through the pandemic and explore ongoing needs as they arise after that period, according to the company's website.
The first flights will be less than one-half mile and be delivered to a location near the retirement community. Initially, a ground vehicle will complete the delivery to the resident's door.
UPS Flight Forward said they may expand the operation to include deliveries from two additional CVS pharmacies in the area.
"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 Scott Price, UPS chief strategy and transformation officer.
UPS and CVS last year announced plans to jointly explore the use of drone delivery. The companies successfully completed their first drone deliveries of medical prescriptions from a CVS pharmacy in Cary, N.C. in November 2019.
FedEx is also exploring using drones for deliveries. Last September it was announced they were working with Wing Aviation LLC and Walgreens to launch a drone delivery service.