Amazon Pharmacy will begin delivering prescription medications by drone to customers in College Station, Texas, the company said in a blog post on Wednesday.
Customers can have more than 500 medications dropped off at their door by drone in 60 minutes or less at no additional cost, Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) said.
Amazon’s drones fly between 40 and 120 meters in the air and are equipped with cameras that the company says can identify people and animals.
When a drone senses the delivery area is clear, it will descend and deposit the package containing the medication. If it encounters an obstacle, it will return to an Amazon fulfillment center and try the delivery again later.
Amazon’s drone efforts have been in focus over the years, with limited success to show for it so far. The company’s Prime Air lost a number of employees earlier this year as part of a wave of layoffs instituted by CEO Andy Jassy.
Amazon Pharmacy launched in 2020 after Amazon acquired PillPack in 2018. Patients can access the full-service pharmacy online, and there are certain perks available to Prime members.
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