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. 2020 Apr 8;114(4):308-314.
doi: 10.1093/trstmh/trz131.

A drone delivery network for antiepileptic drugs: a framework and modelling case study in a low-income country

Farrah J Mateen  1 , K H Benjamin Leung  2 , Andre C Vogel  1 , Abass Fode Cissé  3 , Timothy C Y Chan  2
Affiliations

A drone delivery network for antiepileptic drugs: a framework and modelling case study in a low-income country

Farrah J Mateen et al. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. .

Abstract

Background: In urbanized, low-income cities with high rates of congestion, delivery of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) by unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to people with epilepsy for both emergency and non-urgent distribution may prove beneficial.

Methods: Conakry is the capital of the Republic of Guinea, a low-income sub-Saharan African country (2018 per capita gross national income US$830). We computed the number of drones and delivery times to distribute AEDs from a main urban hospital to 27 pre-identified gas stations, mosques and pharmacies and compared these to the delivery times of a personal vehicle.

Results: We predict that a single drone could serve all pre-identified delivery locations in Conakry within a 20.4-h period. In an emergency case of status epilepticus, 8, 20 and 24 of the 27 pre-identified destinations can be reached from the hub within 5, 10 and 15 min, respectively. Compared with the use of a personal vehicle, the response time for a drone is reduced by an average of 78.8% across all times of the day.

Conclusions: Drones can dramatically reduce the response time for both emergency and routine delivery of lifesaving medicines. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of such a drone delivery model with relevance to epilepsy. However, the commissioning of a trial of drones for drug delivery in related diseases and geographies is justified.

Keywords: epilepsy; healthcare delivery; remote medicine; unmanned aerial vehicle.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Location of proposed drone depots and central hub in Conakry, Guinea.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Response times via drone vs personal vehicle at different times of day.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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