Drones to start delivering medicine to island residents

SMITH ISLAND, MARYLAND — A small island in Maryland is making headlines thanks to a new White House pilot program announced this week.

With this program, people living on Smith Island will have faster access to much-needed medicine, thanks to drone deliveries.

When you're sick, getting off the island to the mainland can be tough.  To make life easier, telemedicine has already been installed on the island to video chat with a doctor.  In the next few months - the medicine itself will be delivered to the island - with the help of a drone.

The company Zipline International will be supplying a drone to the Crisfield Clinic and Doctor Kerry Palakanis so medicine can be delivered to the islanders.

"We're a perfect locale for doing rural project development because the population is willing to participate number one, but also, our unique characteristics are really replicable in other places," says Dr. Palakanis.

The White House has approved the pilot program for Smith Island and two other places in the US.

Doctor Palakanis says folks at Zipline know the area well - so Smith Island will be the first of the three to see these drone flights.

Delivering medicine in just minutes to the island will be life-changing for some islanders: "Let's say they have bronchitis, or an upper respiratory infection that needs antibiotics, we can make the diagnosis with our telemedicine equipment, but we don't have a pharmacy on Smith Island. With the drone capability, we would be able to make the diagnosis with telemedicine and make the delivery even if the boats aren't running."

Doctor Palakanis says she is visiting the island this weekend to talk logistics - but would like to see the deliveries made to a central location in each village on the island - like the fire departments.

The doctor called this system revolutionary - bringing more care to an area where it's hard to come by.

If all goes according to plan - the first flight could be late this year - or in early 2017.

The drones will travel about 15 miles each way and could be a lifeline when the weather is too dangerous for boats.

Cox Media Group