Utah News Dispatch
Medical Licensing Board calls for suspension of Utah pilot program using AI to refill prescriptions
The Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy says the Doctronic system is meant to lighten clinicians’ workload, improve refill continuity and expand access for patients. (Getty Images)
A first in the nation pilot program that allows an artificial intelligence system to approve prescription medication renewals in Utah is facing criticism from the state’s medical practitioners with the Medical Licensing Board calling for its immediate suspension.
In a letter sent to the Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy, the board condemned the state’s agreement with AI company Doctronic, which allows an automated system to process 30-, 60- or 90-day renewals for medications that had already been prescribed by licensed physicians.
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Board members argued they should have been included in the process before the program’s implementation, not once the system was already live.
“Proceeding with this agreement without consulting the Medical Board potentially places Utah citizens at risk and remains a major concern of the board. It is imperative that professionals with medical backgrounds review all proposals prior to implementation to ensure these programs do not compromise patient safety,” the letter says. “We must not allow AI or other financial motivations to override this obligation, yet that is precisely what occurred here.”
There’s a reason why refills require physician authorization, the board wrote. Each renewal requires reassessments to determine safe dose adjustments, side effects monitoring, contraindication or new drug interactions.
“Patients who continue refilling medications without assessment may remain on outdated or suboptimal therapy for months or years,” the letter says before calling for an immediate suspension of the pilot pending further discussion.
According to the Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy, the Doctronic system operates “within strict parameters and with physician oversight,” and its implementation is meant to lighten clinicians’ workload, improve refill continuity and expand access for patients.
Matt Pavelle, co-founder and co-CEO at Doctronic, said in a statement the company is participating in the process as designed, with designated safeguards and physician participation.
“We remain focused on demonstrating safe, evidence-based expansion of routine care access,” he wrote.
Each phase of the tool deployment has “extensive identity and prescription verification protocols,” and will be supervised by physicians, the office wrote. Additionally, the system won’t be able to issue new prescriptions, handle controlled or addictive substances, or make changes to treatment plans.
Currently, the pilot is in its first phase, which requires a licensed medical practitioner’s approval before issuing a renewal. The state hasn’t received any serious safety incidents. However, “a third-party red teaming report identified potential vulnerabilities under adversarial usage.”
In a response to the board’s letter, the Utah Division of Professional Licensing and the Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy said the pilot won’t be suspended at this time, since it’s still in phase one, which requires physician reviews for each refill. However, the Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy may modify or cancel the program if safety benchmarks aren’t met.
The offices added that any agreement involving healthcare decisions are also made in consultation with medical specialists in that specific field.
“The pilot involving Doctronic was rigorously reviewed by several medical professionals prior to launch. This evaluation process generated a large number of suggested substantive adjustments and guardrails, many of which were integrated into the pilot,” the offices wrote.
However, the offices committed to working in collaboration with the board in future steps of the pilot and to vet future healthcare proposals. And, they also contested the “financial motivations” the board referenced in its letter.
“Neither the State of Utah nor the Utah Department of Commerce has any motivation involved in the specific outcome of this policy project other than determining the best public policy for Utahns,” the offices wrote. “It is also important to note that the State of Utah and its Department of Commerce do not promote any private company and has no interest in the financial outcomes of any company.”
