Amazon Pharmacy rolls out drone delivery service in Texas

Amazon Pharmacy announced Wednesday the launch of free drone delivery of prescription medications in 60 minutes or less for eligible customers in College Station, Texas. 

Over 500 medications for common conditions will be available via drone delivery, including flu, asthma, and pneumonia. Once an order is placed, a pharmacist will load the medication into a Prime Air drone and ensure delivery to a customer’s front door within an hour. 

Eligible customers in College Station will see “free drone delivery in less than 60 minutes” at the time of checkout. 

The retail giant has delivered household items via drone in College Station since December 2022. However, the company says customers cannot receive a mix of other products with their Amazon Pharmacy medication delivery.

“We’re taught from the first days of medical school that there is a golden window that matters in clinical medicine,” Dr. Vin Gupta, chief medical officer of Amazon Pharmacy, said in a statement. “That’s the time between when a patient feels unwell and when they’re able to get treatment. We’re working hard at Amazon to dramatically narrow the golden window from diagnosis to treatment, and drone delivery marks a significant step forward. Whether it’s an infectious disease or respiratory illness, early intervention can be critical to improving patient outcomes.”

THE LARGER TREND

Amazon purchased digital pharmacy PillPack in 2018 and launched its digital pharmacy two years later.

In 2021, the company announced it was offering Prime members without insurance six-month supplies of medications for $6, and earlier this year, it launched RxPass, a generic medication subscription service for a flat fee of $5 per month.  

In March, Amazon Pharmacy announced partnerships with pharma companies GSK, Kaléo, Novo Nordisk and Dexcom to integrate coupons for their brand-name drugs. Amazon implemented a feature that automatically applies manufacturer-sponsored coupons to a patient’s medication order when eligible.