Amazon launching 24-hour drug delivery in select cities across the U.S.

Residents of New York City and metro Los Angeles can now receive their prescription medications in minutes, rather than waiting for hours or days, through a new delivery service from Amazon Pharmacy. 

The Same-Day Delivery program is also scheduled to expand to more than a dozen other cities this year, including Austin, Indianapolis, Miami, Phoenix, and Seattle, the company said in a press release. 

“These faster delivery speeds will be a game changer when you or your family need your medications quickly.” said Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores, in a statement.

Some of the deliveries will be made by couriers on e-bikes, while other orders will be fulfilled via drone, electric vans, and other commercial vehicles, according to Amazon. 

“In traffic-jammed Manhattan, for example, delivery workers riding eco-friendly e-bikes may drop off medications at a customer’s door. In College Station, home to Texas A&M University, drones may be used to fly medications to a customer in less than an hour,” the company said on Tuesday. “In greater Los Angeles and other suburban areas, Rivian all-electric vans or other commercial vehicles may make their way to customers’ doors.”

The service is powered by artificial intelligence, according to the company, which noted that AI and machine learning are streamlining prep work for prescriptions and helping to reduce administrative errors. 

“AI doesn’t replace the role of the pharmacist; it allows them to operate at the top of their license,” said Kelvin Downes, director of fulfillment for Amazon Pharmacy, in a statement. “Rather than doing duplicative work, pharmacists can use the skills they went to school for to deliver better patient experiences.”