Amazon Pharmacy, the online pharmacy division of Amazon, has launched its first drone deliveries. The service is currently available in two locations in the United States: College Station, Texas, and Lockeford, California. To use the service, customers simply place an order for prescription medication on the Amazon Pharmacy website or app. If the customer’s address is eligible for drone delivery, they will be able to select drone delivery as an option at checkout.
Once the order is placed, Amazon will prepare the medication and package it in a special drone-compatible container. The container is then loaded onto a drone and flown to the customer’s address. When the drone arrives at the customer’s address, it will descend to a safe altitude and hover in place. The customer will then be able to use the Amazon Pharmacy app to unlock the drone and retrieve their medication.
Amazon Pharmacy’s drone delivery service is available seven days a week, from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Customers must be at least 18 years old to use the service and must have a valid Amazon account.
Amazon Pharmacy’s drone delivery service is the first of its kind in the United States. The company has been working on the service for several years and has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate drones for commercial purposes.
Amazon has been working on drone delivery for several years. In 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced that the company was developing a drone delivery service that could deliver packages to customers in 30 minutes or less. In 2016, Amazon began testing drone deliveries in the United Kingdom. However, the company faced a number of regulatory challenges and was forced to suspend the program in 2019.
In 2020, Amazon began testing drone deliveries in the United States. The company received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate drones in December 2020.
The senior vice president of Amazon Pharmacy, Doug Herrington said,
“This is a big day for Amazon Pharmacy and for our customers in College Station. Drone delivery is a safe and convenient way to get the medications and other health and wellness products that you need, and we’re excited to offer it to our customers.”