Utah medical company announces 'AI-powered prescriptions'
The company walked through the process in a blog post.
A Utah health care company announced Monday that it has received state authorization for a pilot program allowing artificial intelligence to issue initial prescriptions, including acne treatment.
Nolla Health introduced the program in a blog post announcing the "AI-powered prescriptions," its acne treatment prescription process, which will roll out in three stages.
The company said the pilot is the first in the U.S. authorized by a state regulator to allow AI to issue initial prescriptions, and that it was authorized after working with the Utah Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy.
The company says the program is designed to close "the access gap" to healthcare, in this case, by avoiding the appointment wait times and costs associated with visiting a dermatologist.
The company said the Nolla Derm application "will prescribe effective acne treatment from $4.99 a month" and require "no office visit."
The post said Utah residents 18 and older can download the app and begin the process at a discounted rate of $4.99 per month.
After verifying their identity, providing informed consent and filling out an intake questionnaire, patients take a “quick five-angle face scan.”
"In about 10–15 minutes, this generates a personalized treatment plan and, if appropriate, an initial prescription," the post said.
The pilot will roll out in three stages with physician involvement in each, according to the company.
In the first stage, which includes the first 100 patients, "two licensed physicians independently review and approve every AI-generated prescription before it reaches the patient."
In the second stage, which will include up to 500 patients, “Nolla Derm issues prescriptions directly, and a physician reviews every case after the fact, at least weekly.”
In the third stage of the pilot, a 10% sample of prescriptions each month will be reviewed by a physician. A physician will also review "every case involving an escalation or a side effect."
The company said stages one and two would last at least four and eight weeks, respectively.
"Moving to the next stage requires meeting safety targets, including 95% agreement with physicians and zero serious adverse events, and written approval from the state," the post said.
The post continued, "Patients can message a licensed physician through the app at any time, at no extra cost."
The company said acne treatment was a viable starting point for the technology because it is “well understood, low risk, and backed by decades of clinical evidence.”