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Cleveland Clinic has launched a medication home-delivery program that brings prescriptions to patients by drone, according to an announcement . The program currently serves patients within a 5-mile radius of the system’s main administrative campus, which functions as the drone operations hub, and the first patient deliveries were completed last week. What’s significant is that the health system plans to expand the service to additional locations and eventually add more items for drone transport, which could include other eligible medications, laboratory specimens, medically tailored meals, and medical supplies. For now, the drone medication service is available to a limited number of patients, and there is no additional cost for the delivery. At the delivery location, the drone remains up to 300 feet above the ground while the delivery container is lowered to the recipient on a tether. After the package is delivered, the container is retracted into the drone, which then returns to its charging station. Patients can monitor the status of their deliveries through their patient portal.
Passing trend or new standard of care? Prescription delivery by autonomous drone is no small undertaking, and it’s likely that Cleveland Clinic—with its $18 billion in annual operating revenue—is among the few health systems with the resources to scale up such a program beyond a limited pilot phase. Amazon Pharmacy launched its drone program in 2023 and has expanded to 10 major metro areas with more on the way.
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