VIDEO – For the first time, the federal government has given the green light for the delivery of drugs by drone.
It is a feat that calls for many others. In the United States, drugs and medical devices were delivered by drone to a clinic in the state of Virginia. The craft had previously obtained authorization to fly from the Federal Government (the Federal Aviation Administration), a first.
In the heart of the mountains
The experiment, led by Australian drone company Flirtey and supported by NASA, took place on Friday. It consisted of transporting 24 emergency medical supplies to this health facility located in the heart of the Appalachian mountain range. The objective: to demonstrate the interest of this delivery method in remote and difficult-to-access areas.
Flirtey drones being loaded with urgent medicine! pic.twitter.com/dGr5zY3Kz1
– Flirtey (@Fly_Flirtey) July 17, 2015
In fact, in this area, residents can travel more than an hour to get medicine from the pharmacy in County of Wise, where the drone left. In just twenty minutes, the machine reached its destination point, guided by a GPS. A dozen patients were able to benefit from these medical supplies.
Close up of Flirtey delivering in Virginia today! pic.twitter.com/7genpCweHF
– Flirtey (@Fly_Flirtey) July 17, 2015
Save lives
In the future, the participants in the experiment want this technology to allow the delivery of drugs and medical devices to the homes of patients who need them. “This would save lives on a daily basis,” explained to CBS News Teresa Gardner, Executive Director of the Health Wagon, which runs the clinic.
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