Maryland will test drone delivery of prescription drugs to Smith Island

On The Record

It’s hard enough to get access to the medicine you need… even under the best of circumstances. You gotta ask your doctor to fill the prescription, gotta get to the pharmacy, wait in line, and have a ride home.

Now imagine how much harder the whole errand is when the only way to get to the pharmacy… is by boat. That’s the challenge facing folks who live on Smith Island, which sits 10 miles off the coast of Crisfield in the Chesapeake Bay.

Maryland recently received federal funds for a pilot project to get drones able to make medical deliveries. For details, we’re joined by John Slaughter, director of the University of Maryland’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Research and Operations Center.

Links:
Governor Moore Announces $1.7 Million in Federal Funding for Eastern Shore Drone Pilot Program to Improve Access to Health Care Resources
UMD to Develop Drone-Delivery Program for Patients on Rural Island

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