BayCare Health System announced this week it will launch a drone-based delivery network for medications, lab samples and medical supplies, in partnership with autonomous delivery company Zipline.

The service, expected to launch in late 2027, will begin in the St. Petersburg-Clearwater area before expanding into Hillsborough County and the broader Tampa Bay region, according to a statement from BayCare.

BayCare is a nonprofit health system based in Clearwater that operates 16 hospitals in the Tampa Bay area and posted $6.97 billion in operating revenue in 2025, with nearly 34,000 team members.

How the system will work

According to BayCare, the delivery process begins when a provider places an order into a Zipline drop box at a designated BayCare site. A drone retrieves a pod, flies to the destination, lowers the pod on a tether from up to 300 feet to the recipient, then returns to one of two charging stations in Pinellas County.

The drone will remain up to 300 feet in the air while a tether lowers the pod to the ground, and BayCare says the pod can make precise deliveries even in high winds and bad weather conditions. Both patients and providers will be able to track deliveries in real time, according to the company.

Prescription delivery to patients’ homes will be optional, offering an alternative to trips to a pharmacy or care site. If a provider requires an acute medical intervention, a drone can send supplies and medications to a patient’s location within minutes, BayCare said.

Partnership details

Zipline, based in San Francisco, describes itself as the world’s largest autonomous delivery service approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. The company launched its drone delivery system more than a decade ago, initially providing medical supplies to remote areas in Africa, and now serves more than 5,000 hospitals and health facilities globally. It also delivers food and consumer products for companies like Chipotle and Walmart.

Zipline will own and maintain the drones in its partnership with BayCare, which the company says is its first publicly announced partnership in Florida. Other U.S. health systems working with Zipline include Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and Memorial Hermann Health System in Texas.

Zipline U.S. Markets Managing Director Hillary Brendzel said in a statement that the company aims to help BayCare “get providers and patients the supplies they need, reliably and quickly, wherever they are.”

Privacy and safety

BayCare said Zipline will not have access to patient information. “Like many traditional delivery providers, Zipline’s system collects just enough information to safely transport deliveries from point A to point B – just the weight, volume and carriage requirements,” the health system said, adding that the arrangement complies with patient privacy regulations.

BayCare said the drones’ propeller design “helps keep the experience quiet and brief for people nearby” and that the aircraft could reduce road congestion, vehicle emissions and package theft compared with traditional delivery methods.

Zipline’s federally approved autonomous aircraft are capable of reaching 70 mph with a 10-mile radius, or 24 miles one way, according to the company.

BayCare joins a small number of health systems nationwide, including Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, that have announced drone-based medical logistics programs.

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