UPS and CVS plan to deliver prescriptions via drone
Anything Wing can do UPS can do, too.
UPS isn't going to let Wing's team-ups with FedEx and Walgreens go unanswered. The company has reached an agreement with CVS Pharmacy to create a "variety" of drone delivery uses, including delivering prescriptions and other goods to homes. Neither company provided a timeline for when you might see these drones in action, although UPS recently became the first company with FAA approval to operate a drone airline.
The courier firm already has some experience delivering medical products thanks to its WakeMed partnership, which sees it delivering medical samples across WakeMed's campus. This is far more ambitious, of course. UPS would be flying over residential areas and deliver a much wider range of products.
There's a strong incentive to move quickly. Wing's deal could give FedEx an early edge in the fledgling courier drone space -- this prevents a rival from gaining too much technological ground. CVS no doubt wants to counter Walgreens as well. And then there's pure bragging rights. This positions both UPS and CVS as tech-savvy companies, even if it could take a long time before a robotic aircraft delivers your medication.
