Utah has become the first state in the US to allow artificial intelligence to issue new prescriptions and will soon do so without any initial medical involvement.
US healthcare startup Nolla Health was authorised by the state to prescribe acne drugs earlier this month.
The authorisation allows Nolla’s AI to prescribe drugs to adults in Utah who have mild to moderate acne after they have submitted their facial scans and medical information for the algorithm to review through the company’s Nolla Derm app.
While every prescription will initially require a doctor’s approval, the AI will issue drugs independently in later phases of the trial.
A company spokesperson told The BMJ, “Nolla remains in phase 1, requiring two Utah licensed doctors to review every prescription before it is issued.
“The agreement lays out performance requirements and safeguards that must be met before we would consider progression to later phases.”
The spokesperson added, “Nolla retains liability for its operations, participating doctors remain subject to applicable professional obligations, and patients retain their traditional legal remedies. The agreement with the state government requires adverse event reporting, immediate pauses for serious safety incidents, and ongoing state oversight.
“Our office retains authority to terminate the pilot.”
Source: BMJ, 19 October 2026
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