BEACHWOOD, Ohio (WOIO) – Cleveland Clinic announced on social media Monday that its launching a drone delivery program for prescription medications.
According to the post, the first successful deliveries were made last week around the area of Beachwood.
The service will initially focus on an area within a five-mile radius of Cleveland Clinic’s Beachwood Administrative Campus, serving as the drone’s home base.
The Clinic said it plans to expand to additional locations over time, including delivery of other medications, lab samples, medically tailored meals and supplies.
Patients who currently utilize the home delivery program for certain medications are initially eligible for this service.
Drone delivery is optional, and there is no extra cost for patients, the post shared.
For this initiative, Cleveland Clinic said it is working with the company Zipline, which delivers medical supplies, food and other goods via drone.
When a prescription is ready, a Cleveland Clinic pharmacy technician will place the package into a secure drop box, allowing the electric drone to then autonomously retrieve the order, and fly to its destination.
The drones use an innovative delivery method and does not land in patients’ yards.
Instead, the drone stays 300 feet in the air while a pod containing the package descends on the ground with a tether.
“Receiving medication quickly and conveniently can make a meaningful difference for patients,” said Lindsey Amerine, Pharm.D., Chief Pharmacy Officer at Cleveland Clinic. “This program is another way in which we’re strengthening home delivery and extending the reach of our services beyond the walls of our facilities.”
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