Advocate Health is set to launch a drone delivery service for prescriptions, lab results and medical supplies, partnering with drone technology company Zipline to bring orders directly to patients' homes and other locations.
The service is expected to begin next year, with initial rollout in Charlotte, N.C., before expanding to Chicago and Milwaukee.
The delivery system works by dispatching a Zipline aircraft from an Advocate Health facility to a patient's location, where it hovers approximately 300 feet above the ground. A pod attached to a tether then descends to deliver the order, a process the company says works regardless of weather conditions.
The Zipline aircraft has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Advocate Health says it plans to use the drone delivery program for more than 100,000 drop-offs. The health system has not announced an exact launch date.
Zipline, which has previously deployed its drone delivery technology in international markets and other U.S. health care partnerships, specializes in on-demand logistics for medical and consumer goods.
