Utah Medical Board Seeks Halt to AI Prescription Pilot Over Safety Concerns
Utah's medical licensing board has asked the state to suspend an automated prescription renewal pilot run by health AI company Doctronic, citing patient safety risks.
The Utah Medical Licensing Board sent a letter to the state's Department of Commerce this past week requesting the suspension. The board said the pilot-which automates refills for 30-, 60-, or 90-day medications-was launched without the board's review.
The board said in the letter that it has a duty to ensure technology-driven prescription refills do not compromise patient safety. "We must not allow AI or other financial motivations to override this obligation, yet that is precisely what occurred here," board members said.
What the Board Says
Each prescription refill requires clinical assessment to safely adjust doses, monitor for side effects, check for drug interactions, and confirm the medication remains effective, the board said.
"Patients who continue refilling medications without assessment may remain on outdated or suboptimal therapy for months or years," board members wrote. "There is a reason prescription refills require physician authorization."
The board said bypassing physician oversight poses significant patient safety risks.
The State's Response
The Department of Commerce defended the project, saying legal requirements do not mandate the medical board's involvement. The department said it engaged in extensive consultation with licensed medical professionals before launch.
The state also said the current phase of the pilot "does not allow autonomous fulfillment of prescriptions." All prescriptions are currently reviewed by a licensed physician in addition to the AI system before being issued, according to the department.
The state said it will assess whether to proceed with autonomous prescribing and will include the board's input in that decision.
Why Utah Launched the Pilot
In January, Utah announced the prescription pilot as the first to test AI for Healthcare in medical decision-making. The goal was to help patients with chronic conditions refill prescriptions by cutting care delays and improving access.
State Sen. Kirk Cullimore Jr. said at the time that the pilot aims to "simplify costs and lower prescription drug prices through our 'regulatory sandbox'" and help patients get medications they need while reducing costs.
Utah has an AI sandbox program designed to attract health AI developers like Doctronic. Last year, a federal AI Action Plan called for establishing regulatory sandboxes to deploy and test AI tools.
Doctronic's Recent Momentum
Doctronic, which raised $40 million in Series B funding, was recently accepted into the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions program. The company will participate in a voluntary reimbursement program under the Early Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic track.
The Department of Commerce said the pilot "enables critical research into the viability of AI Agents & Automation as an extender for healthcare, especially for those with limited access to healthcare, such as those living in rural areas or those without insurance coverage."
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