Advocate Health announced Thursday it is partnering with Zipline to launch the largest hospital-based drone delivery network in the U.S. beginning in 2027.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based health system will first offer deliveries using Zipline’s Platform 2 system in its Charlotte market, eventually expanding to patients in its Chicago and Milwaukee markets. At the program’s full scope, it plans to carry out more than 100,000 deliveries annually, the announcement said.
“Advocate Health is rewiring care delivery by implementing drone technology to deliver medication and health supplies,” said Collin Lane, Advocate Health executive vice president, professional and support services, in a statement. “This technology will ensure patients not only have the prescriptions and supplies they need, but have them delivered right to their doorsteps, and during a time when their local pharmacy may have closed.”
Aside from delivering medications and supplies to patient homes, Lane said the drone program will also transport lab specimens between facilities, allowing patients to receive quicker results.
The drone delivery program plans to expand to Georgia, per the announcement, as the health system “continues its commitment to rural patients.”
Drone delivery is becoming increasingly common among healthcare organizations and retailers, including Amazon and Walmart.
Advocate Health joins a group of other health systems partnering with Zipline for drone deliveries, including Cleveland Clinic, Intermountain Health, Mayo Clinic and MultiCare.
“Zipline will help Advocate Health get patients what they need fast and reliably, even at home. It’s the clearest sign yet that hospital-based drone delivery is a new cornerstone of how health systems serve their communities,” said Hillary Brendzel, Zipline managing director of U.S. Markets, in a statement. “Faster deliveries of medications and supplies mean a better experience for patients across Advocate Health’s regions.”