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BayCare announces medical drone delivery service in bay area
The nonprofit health system is partnering with Zipline to launch the on-demand system, in late 2027.
A prescription for antibiotics or a test tube of blood bound for a laboratory could soon arrive by air instead of land in the Tampa Bay area.
BayCare announced plans Wednesday to start the Tampa Bay area’s first healthcare drone service for delivery of medications, lab samples and critical supplies.
The nonprofit health system said it was partnering with Zipline to launch the on-demand system, beginning in late 2027 in Pinellas County before expanding into Hillsborough.
Clearwater-based BayCare will join a small number of health systems nationwide, including Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, that have announced drone-based medical logistics programs.
The service works much like air-drop programs established by retail giants like Walmart and Amazon, only focused on transporting healthcare assets between patients’ homes and BayCare facilities.
The process begins when a provider places an order into a Zipline drop box at a designated BayCare site. A drone retrieves a pod, flies to the destination, lowers the pod on a tether from up to 300 feet to the recipient, then returns to one of two charging stations in Pinellas.
“The pod makes precise deliveries even in high winds and bad weather conditions,” BayCare said in a news release.
Patients will have the option of prescription delivery. In addition, if a provider requires an acute medical intervention, a drone can send supplies and medications to a patient’s location within minutes. According to Zipline, its drones have moved blood, vaccines, supplies, gauze and other items while serving more than 5,000 hospitals and healthcare facilities.
Zipline’s federally approved autonomous aircraft are capable of reaching 70 mph with a 10-mile radius, or 24 miles one way.
BayCare, which operated 16 hospitals in the Tampa area, said the Zipline drones reduce road congestion, vehicle emissions and package theft while allowing for precise delivery windows. The propeller design “helps keep the experience quiet and brief for people nearby.”
According to BayCare, Zipline will not access patient information and is compliant with all relevant regulations, including patient privacy laws.
“Like many traditional delivery providers, Zipline’s system collects just enough information to safely transport deliveries from point A to point B – just the weight, volume and carriage requirements,” the statement read.
Rick Mayer is a writer and producer for WUSF, the bay area’s NPR affiliate.
