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CVS, UPS to partner on drone delivery tests for medications

CVS is partnering with UPS for a test on medication deliveries by drone.

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The drone tests for the drug store chain follow the Federal Aviation Administration's recent approval of UPS limited drone deliveries, according to news reports.

The automated drones will make deliveries for CVS on preplanned routes in as little as 10 minutes and will carry packages weighing up to 5 pounds, CNN reported.

Packages will be dropped in front or backyards, and humans will conduct oversight on the program.

There's no word yet on where the drone deliveries will begin or when, but in a statement on Monday, according to CNN, the retailer said it thinks customers will appreciate fast deliveries, especially in rural areas.

"This is a quantum leap in terms of what's possible," Bala Ganesh, with UPS' advanced technology group, told CNN Business.

“Speed can make the difference between life and death,” Ganesh said.

CVS competitor Walgreens began a new drone delivery service Friday in Christiansburg, Virginia, with Wing, Google’s drone delivery company.