Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health is one of the latest health systems to enter the emerging world of prescription delivery via drone.
Since the system began its pilot project testing the technology, it has delivered between five and 10 prescriptions — mostly refills — each month to local customers, according to an Oct. 30 news release from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
"We're always looking for new and innovative ways to deliver care," Mason Hilton, PharmD, Intermountain's director of pharmacy services stated in the release "This service provides a more patient-centric delivery option and allows Intermountain to navigate challenges that may arise with traditional delivery methods."
The health system is currently in the process of working with the Federal Aviation Administration to expand its drone license to increase its delivery capabilities.
The emerging drug delivery method is one that both Cleveland Clinic and Amazon have also begun testing.