Utah’s Breakout Star Is an AI App That Writes Acne Prescriptions — No Dr. Pimple Popper Required
Utah is the first state to let AI prescribe zit medicine without direct doctor oversight.
Starting this week, Utahns can get an acne prescription without ever seeing a doctor. It’s the first time a state has let AI stand in for a real-life physician, Bloomberg reports.
Patients scan their face in the app from telehealth startup Nolla Health. The AI scores the severity of their acne and recommends one of eight approved topical treatments. The app costs about $5 a month, with meds running around $50 a month. That’s a lot cheaper than a typical dermatology visit, which runs $150 to $300
Doctors aren’t entirely out of the loop. A physician reviews the first 100 patients’ prescriptions before they go out, then checks the next 400 after the fact. After that, a doctor reviews at least 10% of prescriptions each month.
But not everyone is a fan. American Medical Association CEO John Whyte tells Bloomberg AI tools “shouldn’t autonomously be trying to practice medicine.”
Starting this week, Utahns can get an acne prescription without ever seeing a doctor. It’s the first time a state has let AI stand in for a real-life physician, Bloomberg reports.
Patients scan their face in the app from telehealth startup Nolla Health. The AI scores the severity of their acne and recommends one of eight approved topical treatments. The app costs about $5 a month, with meds running around $50 a month. That’s a lot cheaper than a typical dermatology visit, which runs $150 to $300
Doctors aren’t entirely out of the loop. A physician reviews the first 100 patients’ prescriptions before they go out, then checks the next 400 after the fact. After that, a doctor reviews at least 10% of prescriptions each month.
But not everyone is a fan. American Medical Association CEO John Whyte tells Bloomberg AI tools “shouldn’t autonomously be trying to practice medicine.”
