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More than 80% of US counties are considered healthcare deserts, according to Nolla, while Utah has an estimated 100,000 people living with active acne. The company said the average dermatology wait time in Utah is 61 days, while 11 counties have no dermatologists. The service costs $4.99 a month. The AI cannot issue open-ended prescriptions. For the first 100 patients, a doctor will review and approve every AI-generated prescription. For the first 500 prescriptions, the AI will issue prescriptions autonomously, while a physician reviews them daily. The programme has faced criticism from some doctors who have questioned its safety. Nolla Health says its acne pilot is intended to complement physicians by handling routine cases, allowing dermatologists to focus on more complex patients. The Nolla Derm app has already been downloaded more than 175,000 times across 44 states.
The pilot, launched by Nolla Health, currently covers acne treatment for adults through its Nolla Derm app. The system assesses patients using a questionnaire and facial scan before selecting treatments from a limited list approved by physicians. The state launched another pilot in January that lets patients opt into an AI system to renew certain prescriptions after a doctor validates the initial action.
critics worry about AI taking over medical decisions and potentially paving the way for greater automation of healthcare jobs. Nolla Health said it received regulatory approval following months of work with the Utah Office of Artificial Intelligence and the Utah Medical Board While the company says the programme is designed to expand access to care rather than replace doctors. The company says the system is designed to address limited access to dermatology care. Luis Wenus, co-founder and CEO of Nolla Health, said the technology is intended to expand access rather than replace doctors. “AI will matter most in healthcare when it helps people get care they otherwise would not receive,” Wenus said. Patients aged 18 and above can use the Nolla Derm app by completing an informed consent process, a 10- to 15-minute questionnaire and a facial scan. The Utah pilot, however, is currently limited to acne, which Nolla describes as a well-understood, low-risk condition with established treatment pathways. Dr Zaid Fadul, Chief Medical Advisor at Nolla Health, said the system has been designed with limits. “People are right to worry about AI in medicine that nobody can control. This program was built to be the opposite,” Fadul said.
Utah is allowing an AI system to prescribe medicines. As AI fears spread across the US, the Republican-led state has become the first in the country to approve an AI system that can issue initial prescriptions, raising fresh questions about whether parts of medicine could eventually be automated. The system analyses their acne and other skin characteristics, then creates a treatment plan. Instead, it can select from a limited list of physician-approved topical treatments. If it cannot confidently determine an appropriate treatment, it refers the patient to a licensed physician. The rollout will also introduce physician oversight in stages. After that, doctors will review a weekly sample of prescriptions. Patients can also contact a licensed physician through the app. The Utah programme comes as debate continues in the US over whether AI could eventually automate parts of highly skilled professions, including medicine. Critics of AI in healthcare have raised concerns about the risks of relying on automated systems for medical decisions. “The AI can’t improvise. It can only choose from a short list of physician-approved topical treatments. The moment a patient falls outside those limits, it stops and hands them to a doctor.” The acne programme is not Utah’s first move toward using AI for prescription-related healthcare. The Utah programme is currently a one-year pilot, with severe or complex acne cases referred to human doctors. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.