The coronavirus pandemic is creating more ways for UPS to focus its Flight Forward drone delivery service. The latest launch is in Florida, where unmanned drones will deliver prescription medicine from CVS to the largest retirement community in the country.
The service, scheduled to begin in May, will use Matternet’s M2 drone system to transport time-sensitive prescriptions from a local CVS to The Villages, home to more than 135,000 seniors in central Florida. CVS plans to offer same-day delivery of medicine.
UPS Flight Forward has been used by medical facilities to quickly transport medical specimens for testing in North Carolina. Earlier this month, UPS announced plans to use the system for in Virginia to speed COVID-19 testing and increase social distancing.
Social distancing and speed are driving the deal with CVS in Florida, which has the highest percentage of elderly residents in the U.S. Seniors are among the most vulnerable to the new coronavirus. In Florida, more than 32,000 cases of COVID-19 — and nearly 1,100 deaths — have been reported as of April 28.
“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.”
UPS and CVS have been exploring drone delivery since last fall when the companies completed their first unmanned aerial deliveries of prescriptions from a CVS pharmacy to a home in Cary, N.C.
“Now more than ever, it’s important that our customers have access to their prescriptions,” said Jon Roberts, executive vice president and CEO of CVS Health. “In addition to our in-store pickup, free delivery services and drive-through pickup, this drone delivery service provides an innovative method to reach some of our customers.”
The first flights in Florida will be less than a half-mile and delivered to a location near the retirement community. Initially, a ground vehicle will complete the delivery to the resident’s door, according to UPS.
The new service in The Villages in central Florida 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. The operation could expand to include deliveries from two additional CVS pharmacies in the area.
