Medical Deliveries by Drone: WBAL-TV Highlights UROC Tests

medical deliveries

Residents of Smith Island and other remote communities in Maryland sometimes must wait days to receive prescription drugs or other medical supplies due to transportation barriers and limited access. A pilot program being spearheaded by the University of Maryland’s UAS Research and Operations Center (UROC) could pave the way for speedier deliveries via drone.

WBAL-TV, Baltimore’s NBC affiliate, recently conducted an exclusive interview with UROC Director John Slaughter about the program, which was announced in October by Maryland Governor Wes Moore. UROC is managing the program under the guidance of the Maryland Department of Planning, which received a $1.75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to launch the endeavor.

While the immediate focus is on hard-to-reach localities such as Smith Island, the potential value of drone deliveries isn’t limited to these areas. “There are a lot of people isolated in their homes,” Slaughter said. “That happens in cities and rural areas alike.”

Medical deliveries, in turn, are only one of the many potential uses of UAS technology that could see a boom in the coming years. The state recently launched an Advanced Air Mobility Council, of which Slaughter is a member, to get out in front of the trend.

As the drone revolution picks up its pace, “we’ll be ready,” he said.

In addition to Slaughter, WBAL interviewed Dr. Rozalina McCoy, director of precision medicine and population health at the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing, who is contributing her expertise to the pilot program.