Drone deliveries are becoming increasingly ordinary in America. You can already have groceries, burritos, and household essentials flown to your doorstep in parts of the country. Now, one of the nation’s most respected healthcare providers is adding prescription medications to that list. Cleveland Clinic has officially launched the first long-term medical drone delivery program by a US health system, partnering with Zipline to serve patients around Cleveland.
The program initially serves patients living within a five-mile radius of Cleveland Clinic’s Beachwood Administrative Campus, where the drones are based. Eligible patients receiving certain prescriptions through Cleveland Clinic’s home delivery program can opt for drone delivery at no additional cost.
And this is only the beginning. The health system plans to gradually expand the service to more locations while adding deliveries of lab samples, medically tailored meals, medical supplies, and additional medications over time. Controlled substances, however, won’t be transported by drone for now.
For patients, the biggest benefit is convenience. Instead of driving to a pharmacy or waiting for traditional delivery windows, medications can arrive within minutes. Patients can also monitor their delivery through Cleveland Clinic’s MyChart patient portal.
