Will AI replace medical personnel in assisting with prescription issuance? Utah, USA, pioneers the experiment

The U.S. state of Utah has recently launched a medical trial allowing artificial intelligence systems to renew certain prescriptions for chronic disease patients without physician intervention, aiming to reduce labor costs and improve healthcare accessibility. This pilot program, a collaboration between the state government and a health tech startup, is seen as the first time in the U.S. healthcare system that “prescription authority” has been directly handed over to AI.

AI prescribing medication? What is Utah testing?

According to Politico, the Utah state government has partnered with health tech startup Doctronic to initiate a pilot program that allows eligible patients to use an online system where AI reads their medication records and conducts consultations. If deemed safe, the system will directly send renewal prescriptions to pharmacies without physician approval.

Currently, the program is limited to 190 common medications, excluding painkillers, ADHD medications, and injectable drugs, to reduce potential risks. This will also make Utah the first state in the U.S. to permit AI to independently handle prescription issuance.

Purpose of the experiment: reduce healthcare costs and manpower pressure

State officials and industry supporters see this program as a solution to rising healthcare costs and workforce shortages, especially in rural areas with limited physician resources.

Margaret Busse, Executive Director of the Utah Department of Commerce, believes that automating routine prescription renewals can ease physicians’ burdens and prevent treatment interruptions caused by administrative delays:

This also provides a space for startups to test AI applications within existing regulatory frameworks.

Safety concerns arise: Is AI more reliable than physicians?

Regarding safety, Doctronic emphasizes that in 500 clinical cases comparing AI with human physicians, the consistency rate of treatment recommendations reached 99.2%. The system also autonomously performs comprehensive drug interaction and risk checks.

To reduce controversy, the first 250 prescriptions of each drug category will still be manually reviewed by physicians before full automation.

Additionally, the company has insured its AI system with medical malpractice liability insurance, following the standards of physicians’ legal responsibilities. However, the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) remain concerned that AI may fail to recognize subtle but critical clinical warning signs and could even be misused.

Regulatory gray area: Will the FDA intervene?

This project also exposes the ambiguity in the U.S. healthcare regulatory system. In theory, the state government is responsible for regulating medical practices, while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees medical devices. The issue arises when AI is no longer just an assistive tool but becomes a “decision-maker” in healthcare, blurring regulatory responsibilities.

The FDA has not yet responded, but if it later determines that the AI system qualifies as a medical device requiring approval, it could impact its expansion across states or nationwide.

The first step in healthcare transformation: can the public trust AI?

Utah’s plan is not just a feasibility experiment but also a broad test of social trust. When prescribing authority is transferred from physicians to artificial intelligence, patients, regulators, and society as a whole must adapt to these changes.

Whether this program can become a starting point for the transformation of the U.S. healthcare system remains to be seen, with time and actual results providing the answer.

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