The Associated Press reports that CVS is partnering with robotics company Nuro to use autonomous vehicles to deliver prescriptions from a Houston store.
Nuro is familiar with the roads there - it has done previous tests in Houston with Kroger and Domino's Pizza.
According to the story, "A CVS spokesman said the prescriptions will routinely be delivered within an hour of being ordered. Customers will have to confirm their identity in order to unlock their delivery after the vehicle arrives." Customers will be able to choose whether they want the Nuro vehicle to make the delivery, and then can track the car via the Nuro app.
The AP points out that there have been other tests of non-traditional delivery methods for prescriptions and other health care products: "Last September, Walgreens started testing drones capable of delivering some products five or 10 minutes after being ordered. But that test in Christiansburg, Virginia, did not include prescriptions.
"Using unmanned vehicles to deliver potentially sensitive prescriptions is uncharted territory. Some hospitals in North Carolina have been testing drone delivery of medical samples and supplies.
"CVS and UPS tried drone prescription deliveries last fall in Cary, North Carolina. The companies started offering the service earlier this month to a big retirement community in Florida."
KC'S View:
The move to autonomous vehicles, which seemed to be subsiding a bit a few months ago, now looks to be caught up in the desire to create non-contact scenarios between employees and customers. Me, I'm more intrigued by drones … but I'd chose one of these vehicles to deliver stuff to my house.
(Though the way that autonomous vehicles were portrayed on "Westworld" on HBO does give ms some pause…)
