BEECHWOOD, Ohio — Prescription medications are an essential part of life for many people.

In the U.S. one study estimates nearly 65% of American adults take at least one of these medicines for chronic conditions annually.

But getting a prescription takes time, and one hospital system is testing technology to make prescription pick-up as painless as possible.

In the skies over Beechwood, Ohio, residents may see something different.

It’s not a bird, it’s not a plane, it’s a prescription.

The Cleveland Clinic has partnered with Zipline Drones and they’re currently testing drone delivery of prescriptions to patients who live within a five-mile radius of the hospital system’s suburban facility.

“We can get those deliveries to the patient within a matter of minutes rather than a matter of hours or days,” said Matt Soder, Cleveland Clinic Director of Community and Specialty Pharmacy.

Soder says patients who live within that delivery radius can register for drone delivery.

The prescription package is loaded into a Dropbox, and a tether retrieves it, returning the medication to the drone hovering at 300-feet.

From there, the company’s geolocation is used to drop the package in a designated area in a patient’s yard.

“They’ve got the area mapped to ensure that when we load an address, that that delivery is delivered accurately and correctly,” said Soder.

Soder said that’s why a small radius is first being tested, measuring for reliability and that the package makes it to the right person.

If all continues to go well, he’s hoping to reach patients even further away.

“With the drone program, we can get that medication to the patient in a much more timely manner, which if you are a patient waiting on a medication that you need in that moment can make a real difference for that patient and how they are feeling,” he said.

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