Implementation Science and Drone-Based Medication Delivery in Rural and Indigenous Communities

Project Overview

This PhD opportunity is part of the Drone Transport Initiative, which aims to enhance equitable healthcare access by integrating virtual pharmacist care with drone delivery of medications in Northern British Columbia. The project addresses critical barriers such as long distances and limited pharmacy services faced by rural and Indigenous populations.

What You Will Do

You will study healthcare provider and staff perceptions before and after implementing this innovative service model, identify implementation barriers and facilitators, and develop strategies to optimize workflows. The work will be interdisciplinary and community-engaged, supported by the Rural Coordination Center of BC's Partnership Pentagram Plus model.

Expected Outcomes

The project aims to provide evidence on the real-world impact of drone-delivered medications combined with virtual pharmacy on timely, safe, and culturally sensitive access to critical medications. The findings will inform scalable models of healthcare delivery in underserved, remote populations.

Why This Matters

Improving medication access reduces missed treatments and poor health outcomes in underserved communities. This initiative aligns emerging technology with service redesign and implementation science to transform healthcare delivery in rural and Indigenous contexts, fostering health equity.