Tech Explained: Here’s a simplified explanation of the latest technology update around Tech Explained: Is AI capable of renewing prescriptions without a physician? – Deseret News in Simple Termsand what it means for users..
- Utah’s new Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy approved an AI-driven prescription renewal service.
- State officials say its regulatory mitigation program strikes a balance between innovation and patient safety.
- Platform developer Doctronic says its system matches up with physicians’ treatment plans 99% of the time.
Utah’s Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy just announced its approval of a pilot effort for an AI-driven platform that provides select prescription renewal services under the umbrella of a novel “regulatory sandbox” program.
State officials say the 12-month demonstration agreement with health technology startup Doctronic will “give patients with chronic conditions a faster, automated way to renew medications.”
“This agreement marks the first state-approved program in the country that allows an AI system to legally participate in medical decision-making for prescription renewals, an emerging model that could reshape access to care and ultimately improve care outcomes,” a Tuesday press release reads.
In addition to automating medication renewals, the Doctronic platform also screens for dangerous medication interactions, an issue that state officials said is one of the largest drivers of preventable health outcomes and avoidable medical expenses.
The program went live in December.
The Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy, organized under Utah’s Department of Commerce, was created by state lawmakers in 2024 with the goal of advancing responsible private-sector AI innovations, in part through regulatory mitigation agreements with businesses, per a report published by GovTech last year.
What is a regulatory sandbox?
Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy director Zach Boyd said the regulatory sandbox allows the state to temporarily relax laws to enable private-sector experimentation with AI, in a mutually beneficial partnership in which the state and businesses can learn together.
Utah also struck demonstration agreements under sandbox protections with AI-powered mental health services platform ElizaChat and mobile dental service provider Dentacor.
“The Legislature created a sandbox authority for us so we can temporarily relax laws and kind of let the business community experiment — in ways that we’re comfortable with — to develop new technology uses,” Boyd told GovTech.
In Tuesday’s announcement, state Commerce Department executive director Margaret Woolley Busse said the program creates space for innovation while maintaining appropriate oversight of new, AI-driven services.
“Utah’s approach to regulatory mitigation strikes a vital balance between fostering innovation and ensuring consumer safety,” Busse said in a press statement. “By creating a supportive environment for companies like Doctronic AI, the Utah Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy provides the certainty necessary for them to develop impactful solutions while prioritizing the well-being of Utahns.”
In data shared with Utah regulators, Doctronic compared its AI system with human clinicians across 500 urgent care cases, according to a Politico report. The results showed the AI’s treatment plan matched the physicians’ 99.2% of the time, according to the company.
But some medical experts are urging caution when it comes to the adoption of AI-driven systems that take human physicians out of the loop on patient care.
In a statement to Politico, Dr. John Whyte, CEO and executive vice president of the American Medical Association, said, “While AI has limitless opportunity to transform medicine for the better, without physician input it also poses serious risks to patients and physicians alike.”