Amazon will become the latest company to test drone deliveries for medications.
The company said Wednesday that customers in College Station, Texas, can now get prescriptions delivered by a drone within an hour of placing their order.
The drone is programed to fly from a delivery center with a secure pharmacy. It will travel to the customer´s address, descend to a height of about four meters – or 13 feet – and drop a padded package.
Amazon says customers will be able to choose from more than 500 medications, a list that includes common treatments for conditions like the flu or pneumonia, but not controlled substances.
The company’s Prime Air division began testing drone deliveries of common household items last December in College Station and Lockeford, California. An Amazon spokesperson said the company has made thousands of deliveries since launching the service, and is expanding it to include prescriptions based in part on customer requests.
