CVS Health Corporation and UPS subsidiary UPS Flight Forward (UPSFF) team up to deliver prescription medicines via Matternet’s M2 drone system to keep social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will deliver drugs from a CVS pharmacy to The Villages, Florida, for the largest U.S. retirement community, home to more than 135,000 residents.
The project was co-operated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). UPS’s new drone delivery service will allow CVS to deliver medicines to large retirement communities safely and efficiently.
“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 is committed to playing its part in fighting the spread of Coronavirus, and this is another way we can support our healthcare customers and individuals with innovative solutions.”
The first flights to The Villages will travel less than half a mile and will deliver prescriptions from a single CVS pharmacy to a location near the retirement community. Initially, a ground vehicle will complete delivery to the resident’s door, UPS said. The operation could be expanded to include deliveries from two additional CVS pharmacies in the area.
Separately, UPS FLight Forward is working with the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology, DroneUp and the Workhorse Group on tests designed to determine how drones can help healthcare professionals respond quickly to medical needs during the pandemic.
