On Friday, Nov. 1, UPS Flight Forward Inc. (UPSFF) and CVS Pharmacy Inc. successfully completed the first revenue-generating, residential drone deliveries of medical prescriptions from a CVS pharmacy to customers in Cary, North Carolina.

One of the people on the receiving end of these landmark deliveries was a CVS customer with limited mobility, which makes it hard for them to make the trip to the store to pick up their prescription.

“We now have an opportunity to offer different drone delivery solutions, tailored to meet customer needs for speed and convenience,” says Scott Price, UPS chief strategy and transformation officer.

“Delivering prescriptions by drone directly to homes could greatly improve the patient experience for CVS customers. We’re delighted to build new services that will shatter preconceived notions of how, when and where goods can be delivered.”

Utilizing a Matternet M2 UAS, the flights launched from a CVS store in Cary. Once the UAS reached its destinations, it lowered the packages to the ground using a cable and a winch while hovering about 20 feet over the properties.

While the UAS flew autonomously, a remote operator monitored the flights, and could intervene if necessary.

“This drone delivery, the first of its kind in the industry, demonstrates what’s possible for our customers who can’t easily make it into our stores,” says Kevin Hourican, president of CVS Pharmacy.

“CVS is exploring many types of delivery options for urban, suburban and rural markets. We see big potential in drone delivery in rural communities where life-saving medications are needed and consumers at times cannot conveniently access one of our stores.”