Medical drone delivery program being tested in Crisfield

CRISFIELD, Md. – Pharmacies in the Crisfield area could soon start taking to the skies, delivering medications and other medical supplies to residents.

Starting this summer, pharmacies like Crisfield Discount Pharmacy could start delivering medical supplies by drone.

“The drone program will only further extenuate good service for people who live in more rural areas like Crisfield or the islands,” said Leo Lawson, a Crisfield resident, “so I think it’s a great idea and to the extent that we can use technology to help people and to improve health, it’s a great thing.”

The City of Crisfield has put out a new survey to gauge residents’ interest in a medical drone delivery program that would bring prescriptions to residents in Crisfield and Smith Island.

“The residents on Smith Island, some of them are home bound, and they are totally dependent on whatever the boat can bring them and they don’t have any other access if the boat is not running,” said Shah Yahya with Crisfield Discount Pharmacy.

Currently, only a ferry service is available to bring prescriptions and other medical supplies to Smith Island.

The drone program would help bridge the gaps of transportation.

“If you live in rural America today you are 20% more likely to suffer from diabetes than your peers in an urban or suburban area, you’re 58% more likely to suffer from hypertension, other cardiovascular disease and so the criticality of these meds getting to people is very, very high in these communities,” said John Slaughter, University of Maryland’s UAS Research and Operations Center Director.

“Think about delivering automated external defibrillators, Narcan, EPIPENs  in emergency situations, they can get there before the paramedics get there,” said Slaughter.

The 1.7 million dollar project is in the first phase of testing and is being funded by a federal grant from the Department of Transportation.

“So this would be definitely a plus for them because it will take the medication or any other medical supplies they need directly into their home,” said Yahya.

Officials hope to have flights started by end of July or early August.