In Florida, a High-Tech Way to Get Prescriptions

Drones are delivering them to retirement communities
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 28, 2020 12:03 AM CDT
You Can Now Get Your Prescriptions via Drone—in One Place
Pharmacist Evelyn Kim, wears a mask and gloves at the CVS pharmacy at Target in the Tenleytown area of Washington, Tuesday, March 17, 2020.   (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The coronavirus pandemic has made the idea of going out to the pharmacy a harrowing one, but not all prescriptions can be sent via mail. Enter CVS and UPS, which partnered up back in October to explore drone deliveries—and are now expanding that service, the Verge reports. Starting in early May, residents of The Villages, a collection of 55 Florida retirement communities, will be able to have their prescriptions picked up at CVS and then dropped off at their home by a UPS-operated drone. As Gizmodo explains, initially just one CVS store will participate, and drone flights will be less than half a mile. UPS Ground drivers will complete the final leg of the delivery, at least at first. Ultimately two more CVS stores will join. UPS has also been experimenting with drone delivery in North Carolina, and a Google offshoot has a drone delivery service for health items in Virginia. (More coronavirus stories.)

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