AI taking over prescription refills? Utah's new program sparks concern among doctors

A new prescription refill program in Utah that allows residents to skip a visit to the doctor's office and renew eligible prescriptions online through an AI chatbot has sparked a major debate over the role of artificial intelligence in healthcare. The initiative has raised questions about whether AI is ready to take over tasks that have traditionally been handled by licensed medical professionals.

While the program promises to make healthcare more convenient for patients, it also represents a significant shift in long-standing medical practices. As a result, doctors and public health experts have raised concerns over how such systems should be regulated, whether physicians should have a greater role in overseeing them, and what safeguards are needed to ensure patient safety.

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One of the key concerns is whether existing state and federal laws, which currently limit prescription authority to licensed healthcare professionals, should be updated to include AI chatbots and other emerging technologies.

States making way for AI in healthcare

In Utah, residents can use Doctronic's AI-powered platform to renew eligible prescriptions online. After verifying a user's identity, the chatbot reviews their prescription details and medical history, confirms the validity of the prescription through a national pharmacy database, and sends approved refills to a local pharmacy. Cases requiring additional review are escalated to a licensed doctor through Doctronic's telehealth service.

The company also aims to expand AI's role in healthcare by automating routine tasks such as ordering diagnostic tests and analysing results, allowing doctors to care for more patients. Similar AI-friendly healthcare policies are also emerging in states including Texas and Wyoming, while lawmakers in Iowa, Idaho, and several others are considering legislation to formally regulate and license AI-powered medical services.

Doctors highlight risks of AI prescription refills

Doctors have warned that the new system could introduce significant risks. They point out that Doctronic's list of approximately 190 refillable medications includes blood thinners and other drugs that require careful monitoring due to the risk of serious side effects, including internal bleeding. Physicians say they frequently adjust dosages based on changes in a patient's condition and question whether an AI chatbot can make such clinical judgments safely.

The American Medical Association has voiced similar concerns, arguing that prescription renewals are not routine administrative tasks that can simply be reduced to a checklist. In response to safety concerns, several medications have already been removed from the list of drugs eligible for AI-assisted refills, including a medication used to treat irregular heart rhythms.

An FDA spokesperson said the agency has not approved any AI-powered medical chatbots for clinical use. However, the regulator reiterated that it supports the responsible development of emerging healthcare technologies while ensuring patient safety remains a top priority.

"The FDA is committed to encouraging medical innovation and helping bring promising new technologies to patients, while keeping safety at the center of every decision."

For now, Doctronic and several other AI healthcare companies are expected to continue expanding across states with varying regulatory approaches.

“Companies may benefit in the short term by expanding their business models and kind of having the technology go beyond the evidence,” says Daniel Aaron of the University of Utah's law school. “But in the long-term, I think they risk compromising public trust and fueling backlash.”

(With Inputs from AP)