Utah allows AI to autonomously prescribe medication refills

In a groundbreaking yet contentious initiative, Utah is permitting artificial intelligence to autonomously manage medication refills for patients, sparking concerns among public advocates who deem the move "dangerous." This pilot program operates under the state's "regulatory sandbox" framework, which temporarily relaxes regulations to facilitate the testing of innovative services. The Utah Department of Commerce has teamed up with Doctronic, a telehealth startup featuring an AI chatbot. This service enables patients to engage with the AI for free and, for a fee of $39, schedule a virtual consultation with a licensed physician in their state. However, patients must first interact with the AI chatbot to qualify for an appointment. According to a preprint study from Doctronic, which analyzed 500 cases from its telehealth services, the AI's diagnostic accuracy aligns with that of human clinicians in 81% of instances. Furthermore, the AI's treatment recommendations were consistent with those of doctors in a remarkable 99% of cases. For Utah residents, the AI chatbot now offers a streamlined process for prescription refills, charging a nominal service fee of $4. After logging in and confirming their state residency, patients can access their prescription history and receive a list of eligible medications for renewal. However, as reported by Politico, the chatbot is restricted to renewing prescriptions for 190 common medications associated with chronic conditions, explicitly excluding certain drugs like pain relievers, ADHD medications, and injectables.