Utah Launches AI Program to Renew Prescriptions Without Doctors

Utah Launches AI Program to Renew Prescriptions Without Doctors
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In a first for the United States, Utah has begun allowing artificial intelligence (AI) to autonomously renew certain medical prescriptions, bypassing human doctors, according to The Conversation.

The pilot program, run in partnership with health-tech startup Doctronic, focuses on routine prescription renewals for chronic conditions and aims to improve access to care while reducing costs.

Patients using the system answer clinical questions online, after which the AI evaluates their eligibility for a refill. The program initially covers 190 common medications, excluding high-risk drugs such as pain management and ADHD medications. Human oversight is maintained for the first 250 renewals per medication class, after which the AI can operate independently.

Doctronic reports that in a trial of 500 urgent care cases, its AI matched human clinicians’ treatment plans 99.2% of the time. The system is designed to escalate uncertain cases to physicians and is covered by a dedicated malpractice insurance policy.

State officials cite potential benefits including fewer medication lapses and relief for overburdened clinicians, while doctors’ groups caution about risks such as missed drug interactions or misuse by patients. Regulatory questions remain, as the FDA has not yet weighed in on AI-driven prescription renewals.

The Utah program is being closely watched as a potential model for expanding AI’s role in healthcare, with discussions underway in other states and consideration of a national approval pathway.