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canada’s first ai-powered drone delivery service making healthcare accessible for everyone

canada's first ai-drone medication delivery, powered by script runner and oak medical arts, aims to squash barriers to remote access to care

by angelica bottaro
published may 28, 2024
read time 3 minute read
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read time 3 minute read
join the conversation
script runner's first ai-drone-powered launch successfully delivers insulin to a patient living with diabetes in rural thunder bay. script runner
health technology company script runner has launched a new way to provide healthcare access to canadians living in rural and remote communities. in collaboration with oak medical arts, script runner’s current medication delivery drone software, powered and delivered by ai drones, has successfully conducted its first long-distance flight test. in under 40 minutes, someone in need of medication living over 30 kilometres away from any healthcare facility was able to receive their medication delivered right to their door without the added need for delivery trucks or services.

a lack of primary care access for canadians in rural and remote areas

people living in remote and rural areas have dealt with limited access to the same healthcare services people in urban areas have within arm’s reach due to their location. the communities and the smaller populations have made it difficult for people in those areas to receive the proper funding to support their healthcare needs.
there is also a lack of healthcare workers in these areas in canada, leading to even more limitations regarding healthcare and health services. typically, those with chronic diseases or those who need regular medications are tasked with travelling to receive care or waiting for longer periods to access medical supplies they need. in fact, roughly 6.5 million canadians are living without “access to primary care.”

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while only 16 per cent of canadians live in rural areas, the challenges they face regarding adequate healthcare can severely hinder effective disease management. cost and time are the most significant burdens, with people in these areas often taking time off work to travel to reach healthcare facilities. in the worst-case scenarios, these people can also be left in the lurch if their ability to travel becomes non-existent.
according to the government of canada public health agency, people living in these areas with chronic disease have a higher rate of mortality risk than their urban counterparts.

bringing emerging healthcare solutions to the masses

the new collaboration between script runner and oak medical arts has found a new, technologically driven way to change how canadians in remote areas receive viable healthcare services.
the test launch, conducted on may 22, was the first of its kind using ai-drone technology to deliver vital medication to a patient in need. the patient, a woman in her late 60s who lives alone in rural thunder bay with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, continued to face challenges when obtaining insulin due to rural roads and a lack of pharmacy access in the area.
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a pharmacist at oak medical arts was able to fill and securely package her insulin prescription and load it onto the drone, where it was successfully delivered to her within 40 minutes, giving her the timely access that many rural-living canadians lack simply due to their chosen location.
the state-of-the-art delivery system test flight proves that this form of medication delivery could address location barriers in healthcare access for remote communities.

bringing the future of healthcare to the present

providing rural access to healthcare is a revolutionary step to ensuring that all canadians have equal access to medications and medical care regardless of where they live. by enabling those with chronic diseases in remote locations the ability to get their medication when they need it, more people can live with a higher quality of life.
“we believe that everyone deserves a high quality of life, and for populations living in hard-to-access locations, medication deliveries via drone can make a difference. the versatility of drones enables deliveries into pockets that traditional modes of transportation aren’t able to access easily,” said adam plummer, script runner co-founder and head of operations, in an email to healthing.
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he continued, “script runner’s last-mile solution is helping canadians address barriers to accessing quality healthcare. at the same time, we are making it easy for pharmacies to send and track deliveries by equipping them with the technology that lets them spend more time with patients and less time managing logistics.”
the milestone, marked by the first test flight, is just the first step in script runner’s plan to bridge the gaps in healthcare access in the country. they plan to seek “further expansion and partnerships within the country’s healthcare system” to take their innovative new way to improve healthcare access countrywide.
angelica bottaro
angelica bottaro

angelica bottaro is the lead editor at healthing.ca, and has been content writing for over a decade, specializing in all things health. her goal as a health journalist is to bring awareness and information to people that they can use as an additional tool toward their own optimal health.

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