Air delivery: Cleveland Clinic uses drones to deliver prescriptions

The Cleveland Clinic is taking to the sky to ensure patients receive their medications quickly.

The hospital is using drones to deliver some prescription drugs, a first long-term program in the U.S.

The deliveries are limited to a five-mile radius from the Beachwood Administrative Campus, which is also the drone’s home base.

But it will be expanded to include not only additional locations, but also what is delivered. More medications will be on the list, as will lab samples, medically tailored meals and supplies.

Controlled substances will not be eligible for delivery for now.

The drone delivery service is an expansion to the pharmacy home delivery program, and those already using home delivery will be the first allowed to use the system if they receive the medications that are part of the drone program.

The Cleveland Clinic has partnered with Zipline, which already delivers medical supplies, food, and other items by drone.

So how does it work?

A pharmacy technician loads a package into a drop box; the drone gets the order and takes it to the destination. When it gets to the delivery address, the drone hovers, then lowers the package by a tether to the ground. The recipient then picks it up. The delivery can be tracked through the MyChart messaging system.

Is there a cost?

The drone delivery is free, the Cleveland Clinic said, and it is optional for eligible patients.

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