In Utah, USA, a pilot program is launching where artificial intelligence (AI) directly analyzes patient conditions to prescribe acne treatments. While AI has previously been used to renew existing medication prescriptions, this marks the first time a state government in the US has permitted AI to issue "initial prescriptions"—evaluating a patient's condition from scratch to initiate new treatments.

According to ABC News and announcements by the Utah state government on the 7th (local time), the AI-based healthcare startup Nolla Health is operating an AI-driven acne treatment prescription service in Utah.

The Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy (OAIP) under the Utah Department of Commerce unveiled this and other medical AI pilot projects on the 5th. While current laws restrict drug prescriptions exclusively to licensed medical professionals, this project applies an exception allowing AI to issue prescriptions under specific conditions.

Take a Photo of Your Face, Get a Prescription in 10 to 15 Minutes

Residents of Utah aged 18 and older can download the "Nolla Derm" app to use the service. Subscription fees start at $4.99 per month (approximately 6,700 KRW).

After completing identity verification and questionnaire procedures, users take photos of their faces from five angles and input their medical history and personal information. The AI then analyzes the severity of the acne and skin condition based on the facial images, providing a personalized treatment plan within 10 to 15 minutes.

During this process, the AI selects appropriate medications—such as low-risk topical acne treatments including tretinoin, clindamycin, and azelaic acid—from a predefined list to generate a prescription. However, the AI does not immediately begin with completely independent prescriptions.

In Phase 1, for the first 100 patients, two doctors licensed in the state of Utah will pre-review every prescription generated by the AI. In Phase 2, the target expands to a maximum of 500 patients, where the AI issues prescriptions directly, and doctors conduct post-reviews of all cases at least once a week.

In the final Phase 3, doctors will randomly sample and inspect at least 10% of all prescriptions each month. Cases involving symptom aggravation or side effects will be reviewed separately. Advancing to each subsequent phase requires written approval from the Utah OAIP.

"Reducing Treatment Costs and Wait Times"—Medical Community Expresses Caution

Explaining why acne treatment was chosen as the initial application area, Nolla Health stated, "It is because our medical understanding of the condition is sufficient, the risk level is relatively low, and clinical evidence has accumulated."

The company added, "Utah's average wait time for a medical appointment is 61 days, nearly double the national average. Furthermore, 11 counties lack dermatologists entirely, and treatment costs can reach up to $300 (approximately 402,000 KRW)." They expressed expectations that "AI-based prescription and skin deterioration prediction services will reduce the risk of acne worsening into scarring while waiting for treatment, and alleviate gaps in healthcare accessibility."

On the other hand, voices within the medical community urge caution regarding granting AI independent prescribing authority. American Medical Association (AMA) CEO John White expressed the stance that while AI can be useful as a tool to assist medical staff, practicing medicine independently requires meeting the same standards of safety and accountability as human medical professionals.

The pilot project will run for one year until October 5, 2027, and may be extended for up to an additional two years depending on the judgment of the Utah state government. Nolla Health plans to expand its AI-based services beyond acne treatment into other medical fields in the future.

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