Utah trial allows AI app to prescribe acne treatments without prior doctor approval

An artificial intelligence app has begun issuing prescriptions for acne treatments in Utah without every decision being approved by a doctor beforehand, in what is believed to be a first for the United States.

Nolla Health asks patients to scan their face and provide details about their medical history. Its software assesses the person’s skin, calculates an acne severity score and selects from eight approved treatments. The pilot is restricted to topical medicines rather than tablets or hormone treatments.

The programme will be introduced gradually. Doctors will check prescriptions for the first 100 patients before they reach pharmacies. For the next 400 patients, prescriptions can be issued first and reviewed retrospectively. Once the scheme expands further, a physician will review at least 10% of prescriptions each month.

Utah has granted the company a narrow exemption from rules that ordinarily require prescriptions to be issued by licensed healthcare professionals. An independent doctor appointed by the state’s medical licensing board will provide oversight, and the pilot is expected to run for one year.

Supporters argue the technology could make routine treatment cheaper and easier to access. However, medical organisations have questioned whether AI systems should be permitted to practise medicine autonomously and warned that automated prescribing must be subject to robust safety standards and clear accountability.

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