Utah has become the first US state to let an artificial intelligence system write first-time prescriptions, authorising health startup Nolla Health's AI to issue initial prescriptions for topical acne treatment from Monday, Bloomberg reported.
The approval comes through an agreement co-signed by Utah's Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy (OAIP) and its Division of Professional Licensing. Until now, a licensed clinician had to sign off on every prescription before it went out. Nolla founder Luis Wenus said in a video posted on X that the AI itself will now make the prescribing decision, building a personalised treatment plan from a facial scan.
A tightly supervised sandbox
The deal sits inside Utah's AI Learning Lab, a regulatory sandbox that relaxes state rules so companies can test AI products under supervision. The agreement caps the pilot's initial four-week stage at a minimum of 100 patients, during which two physicians must approve every prescription. Later stages move to review after the fact and then to monthly checks.
The AI may only prescribe topical acne medication. It is barred from prescribing isotretinoin (Accutane) or any oral drugs, according to the state's authorised-pilots page. The OAIP has also made clear that sandbox participation is not an endorsement: companies are still responsible for their actions under the agreements, and the office says the product is being conditionally tested.
A first of its kind
Wenus, who previously worked for Worldcoin, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's eye-scanning identity project, described Nolla as the first "end-to-end AI doctor" to receive such regulatory clearance. Utah had previously allowed another startup to use AI to approve prescription refills, but never first-time prescriptions.
Physician groups have voiced criticism of AI taking on prescribing roles, and Congress has begun weighing liability for AI systems in healthcare. Nolla Health, the OAIP, the Division of Professional Licensing, the Utah Medical Association and the American Academy of Dermatology did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sources:
Daily Caller: AI Just Got A Green Light To Prescribe Drugs — At Least In One State (citing Bloomberg)
The approval comes through an agreement co-signed by Utah's Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy (OAIP) and its Division of Professional Licensing. Until now, a licensed clinician had to sign off on every prescription before it went out. Nolla founder Luis Wenus said in a video posted on X that the AI itself will now make the prescribing decision, building a personalised treatment plan from a facial scan.
A tightly supervised sandbox
The deal sits inside Utah's AI Learning Lab, a regulatory sandbox that relaxes state rules so companies can test AI products under supervision. The agreement caps the pilot's initial four-week stage at a minimum of 100 patients, during which two physicians must approve every prescription. Later stages move to review after the fact and then to monthly checks.
The AI may only prescribe topical acne medication. It is barred from prescribing isotretinoin (Accutane) or any oral drugs, according to the state's authorised-pilots page. The OAIP has also made clear that sandbox participation is not an endorsement: companies are still responsible for their actions under the agreements, and the office says the product is being conditionally tested.
A first of its kind
Wenus, who previously worked for Worldcoin, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's eye-scanning identity project, described Nolla as the first "end-to-end AI doctor" to receive such regulatory clearance. Utah had previously allowed another startup to use AI to approve prescription refills, but never first-time prescriptions.
Physician groups have voiced criticism of AI taking on prescribing roles, and Congress has begun weighing liability for AI systems in healthcare. Nolla Health, the OAIP, the Division of Professional Licensing, the Utah Medical Association and the American Academy of Dermatology did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sources:
Daily Caller: AI Just Got A Green Light To Prescribe Drugs — At Least In One State (citing Bloomberg)
