Drone delivery of medications: Review of the landscape and legal considerations
Connie A. Lin, Karishma Shah, Lt Col Cherie Mauntel, Sachin A. Shah · American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy · 2017
Unmanned aerial systems (UASs), known colloquially as drones, constitute a rapidly growing market, with sales that tripled in the 12 months ending in April 2016.1 These drones are being used innovatively for photography, racing, security, and architecture, and their use will soon include consumer goods delivery. This technology has the ability to improve healthcare by increasing the accessibility of medications through drone delivery of medications. This article describes current drone technology and discusses regulatory considerations for pharmacy and related stakeholders. Background. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines a UAS and the equipment necessary for safe and efficient operation of that aircraft as a “small unmanned aircraft system.”2 Commercial drones for delivery will likely be of 1 of 2 models (multirotor and fixed-wing), each with pros and cons. The decision of which model to use depends on the nature of the delivery.3 If the delivery requires hovering to slowly drop a package, for example, a multirotor UAS would be preferred because it has better stability.4 The multirotor UAS would also provide the ability to maneuver through tight spaces, which could be advantageous in an urban area with tall buildings. However, this type of UAS has much lower speed capabilities and shorter flight times than fixed-wing models. Fixed-wing models are more effective for carrying larger payloads and traveling faster and for greater distances.