Zipline drones will restock pharmacy medicines across the US
Cardinal Health plans to test using drones to speed up delivery of pills, inhalers and other medicines to US pharmacies. According to the medical supplies distributor, this could also reduce transportation costs for urgent shipments.
Zipline develops, manufactures and operates the world's largest automated on-demand delivery service and operates a fleet of small electric autonomous aircraft. Cardinal Health and Zipline will begin operations in North Carolina, aimed at receiving orders and delivering certain products in just 15-30 minutes. After the initial launch, the companies plan to expand to other locations.
A pilot program with drone operator Zipline International will begin in 2022, pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Drones with a three-meter wingspan will carry loads of up to 1.8 kg about 16 km from Zipline's distribution center in Cannapolis, North Carolina, to local pharmacies in 15-30 minutes.
“Our customers value access to the medicines and medical supplies they need, ordered at the right time for their patient care needs, and it starts with an effective distribution strategy. Our work with Zipline will provide an innovative way to support our world-class distribution services and help prepare our customers for the future, so they can meet growing patient needs”
This program is Cardinal Health's first attempt at drone delivery, which the Dublin, Ohio distributor sees as a way to avoid restocking delays and volatile last-minute delivery prices. It follows efforts by other companies, including United Parcel Service, Merck & Co and Walmart, testing drones for internal transport of medical goods and materials.
Josh Dolan said drone delivery will allow the company to overcome road obstacles, such as natural disasters, and help restock high-turnover products. Ultimately, it will be useful in emergencies in remote areas or where time is critical, such as delivering antivenom for snake bites.
According to Dolan, while speed and reliability are the main reasons Cardinal Health is pursuing drone delivery, the flights will also help the company avoid last-minute price fluctuations for courier or helicopter delivery. Ultimately, the company plans to expand the program to more products and regions, which will also depend on FAA approval.
Zipline, based in South San Francisco, California, has used unmanned aircraft to deliver medicines to remote areas of Africa, deliver blood and vaccines in Rwanda and Ghana, and most recently to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.
According to Zipline General Counsel Conor French, the company is starting drone deliveries in the US and other countries. He announced deals to deliver goods for Walmart in northwest Arkansas and to deliver prescriptions and medical supplies for the Intermountain Healthcare hospital system in Salt Lake City.
“Cardinal Health is a leading distributor of pharmaceutical, medical and laboratory products. Together, we can help transform the healthcare supply chain to set a new standard of access, efficiency and convenience through instant logistics”
The Cardinal Health program will use drones about 1.8 m long from nose to tail, resembling miniature airplanes. They will travel at altitudes of 91 to 122 m above the ground over varied landscapes and drop parachute packages into landing zones about two parking spaces wide.
Zipline drones can travel up to 161 km round trip, or 80 km from a distribution center. According to a spokesperson, the company is still coordinating routes with aviation regulators. Cardinal Health plans to supply pharmacies with products daily and replenish its stock from its distribution center in Greensboro, North Carolina.
French said Zipline's deal with Cardinal Health is "similar to what we do internationally." He declined to describe the financial details of the deal.
Cardinal Health joins a growing number of organizations, including health systems, governments and companies, using Zipline. Zipline has flown more than 24 million km, completed more than 200,000 commercial deliveries and will soon operate in five countries. Today, Zipline delivers goods every four minutes.
Cardinal Health is a pharmaceutical distributor and global manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory products, as well as a provider of performance and data management solutions for healthcare facilities. Cardinal Health has 50 years of experience in more than 35 countries and about 44,000 employees worldwide.
