Photo credit: UPS

Delivery giant UPS, in partnership with pharmacy chain CVS, has announced that it’ll begin using drones to deliver prescription medicines from a CVS pharmacy to the largest retirement community in the U.S., which is known as “The Villages”, located in the state of Florida. The announcement comes on the heels of a coronavirus outbreak that has restricted movement across the U.S. and made it harder for persons, more so elderly persons, to obtain daily necessities, prescriptions being one of such necessities. Elderly persons are particularly more vulnerable to health issues and more so prone to serious complications if infected with the coronavirus.

Drone transport in a controlled environment offers a fast delivery option for prescription medicines that are time-sensitive and also helps maintain advised social distancing efforts. The drone deliveries in The Villages, Florida are scheduled to begin in early May, subject to stipulated rules from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Permission has been granted to UPS to operate through the pandemic. There happens to be a catch, however, as the first drone flights will be less than one-half mile and will be delivered to a location near The Villages, Florida, and not directly to residences. Initially, a ground vehicle will help complete deliveries from a drone’s landing spot to a customer’s home.

The drone delivery program falls under a partnership that UPS and CVS entered into last year. The partnership centered on exploring drone delivery services across the U.S.