AI prescriptions are being tested in Utah

Healthcare startup Nolla Health on Oct. 5 began piloting topical acne prescriptions for Utah adults, written up by AI instead of doctors.

The company says it is the “first organization in the US authorized by a state regulator for AI to issue an initial prescription, not just a refill.” To start, physicians are reviewing all the AI prescriptions. Eventually, assuming the program meets pre-agreed safety targets and the state signs off, the goal is for physicians to review prescriptions in only a handful of cases, per the company’s Oct. 5 announcement.

Some background. Nolla has one of nine authorized AI agreements listed on the website of the Utah Department of Commerce’s Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy.

The department announced pilots by AI companies Doctronic and Legion Health earlier this year to use AI to renew prescriptions that had initially been issued by a licensed clinician. It recently authorized another company, August AI, to renew prescriptions for chronic conditions, the company shared Oct. 5. Nolla takes it a step further than these other pilots by issuing an initial prescription with AI, rather than just a refill.

The app uses skin-scanning technology powered by machine learning systems that were trained on more than 3 million labeled clinical cases to detect patterns and skin conditions in images, according to the company’s website.

These pilots are being implemented in stages. August AI’s and Legion Health’s demonstrations haven’t started yet, and Doctronic’s pilot is still in an early phase where renewals are reviewed by a licensed human medical practitioner, according to Utah’s Department of Commerce website. Moving to the next stage requires the state office’s approval, according to the website.

“We’re going to create better access, potentially lower costs, create new innovation within the healthcare industry, and potentially even solve some of the healthcare problems that are out there,” Utah Sen. Kirk Cullimore, whose bill created the Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy, which launched in July 2024, said during a press conference on Oct. 5, the Idaho State Journal reported.

Still, the partnerships between these companies and the state office have attracted criticism. In an April 20 letter, the Utah state medical board said it was not informed of the Doctronic pilot beforehand and expressed concerns patients may receive autopiloted refills of outdated or ineffective prescriptions. It recommended the program be “immediately suspended pending further discussion.”

The Utah Medical Licensing Board later established an AI working group in July 2026 to support the state’s efforts, review proposals, and assist with oversight, Department of Commerce spokesperson Thomas McMinn told Healthcare Brew. Utah’s Department of Commerce has also signed agreements with six independent third-party evaluators, according to an Oct. 5 press release.

The current pilot. Utah residents can use the Nolla Derm app beginning at $4.99 a month, and verifying their identity, giving informed consent, filling out a questionnaire, and getting a face scan. Within 10 to 15 minutes, the app can use AI to generate “a personalized treatment plan and, if appropriate, an initial prescription,” the company’s announcement says.

The app will not prescribe oral medication or isotretinoin, nor treat severe acne, according to the website of Utah’s Department of Commerce’s Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy.