Nuro And CVS Pharmacy Team For Autonomous Prescription Delivery

The coronavirus pandemic around the world has forced many people to reconsider the way they acquire the things they need for their daily lives. During the pandemic, simple trips to the grocery store or pharmacy could be hazardous to your health. For Americans who require prescription medications, trips to the pharmacy aren't an option no matter what's going on in the outside world.Nuro has teamed with CVS Pharmacy for an autonomous prescription delivery service. Starting in June, the company's fleet of autonomous vehicles will deliver prescriptions and other essential items around three ZIP Codes in Houston, Texas. Nuro says that it has become increasingly important for people from all walks of life to be able to access prescriptions and other things they need without leaving their home.

The company says that over 76% of people in the United States currently live within 5 miles of a CVS Pharmacy. The pharmacy chain serves 4.5 million people across the country every day. CVS customers in the Houston pilot area will be able to place prescription orders along with their nonprescription items on CVS.com or via the CVS Mobile Pharmacy app.

Those who choose the autonomous delivery option will have one of the autonomous Nuro Prius vehicles will deliver their purchase at the curbside of their address within three hours. Customers will have to confirm their ID to unlock the delivery when the autonomous vehicle arrives. The autonomous deliveries will be free to all pharmacy customers during the trial period.

The service will begin with the autonomous Prius cars, and eventually, the custom-built delivery bot called R2 will make the deliveries. It's unclear how long the trial will last and when/if it might be rolled out to other CVS locations around the country.