While robotic medical assistants are a staple of science fiction, a subscription service in Utah has launched the first AI doctor capable of prescribing medication.
Nolla Health, a healthcare startup specializing in skincare and acne treatment, offers its subscription service for $5 per month. According to Bloomberg, patients use an app to scan their face and fill out forms detailing their medical history. The AI software then analyzes the patient’s face and generates an acne severity score. If the scan and medical information warrant it, the patient receives a prescription from a list of eight approved treatments.
The pilot program is set to last one year, according to Bloomberg. The first 100 prescriptions will be overseen by a board-certified physician before being sent to pharmacies. If successful, the next phase will allow the AI to treat up to 400 patients independently, with a physician reviewing the bot’s decisions weekly. The final phase will involve a physician auditing at least 10% of written prescriptions monthly.
A representative for Nolla Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Michelle McOmber, CEO of the Utah Medical Association, told CNET in an email that Nolla Health did not require the association’s approval to run this pilot program.
“We never talked with them,” McOmber says. “The Office of AI Policy did have a short conversation with our current president, who is a dermatologist. OAIP also had the subcommittee of the Utah Medical Licensing Board look at [the plan] and comment.”
The Office of AI Policy, part of the Utah Department of Commerce, is designed to guide responsible AI policies in the state.
McOmber notes that this “very limited and very specific” use of AI is acceptable, but the Utah Medical Association “would not be in favor of it being used for anything else at this time as it is.”
AI isn’t ready for more responsibility
Studies show that doctors, surgeons, and mental health professionals are among the least likely professions to be replaced by AI. Nonetheless, many medical professionals agree that integrating AI into the medical field is inevitable, either as a tool to assist human physicians or for simpler tasks, such as diagnosing acne or other skin conditions.
However, some of these same medical professionals believe that the adoption of AI in medicine is progressing too rapidly.
“We think people are trying to go too fast in using and relying on AI in healthcare,” McOmber said. “We do believe that AI, as a tool, can help physicians in different ways and that it will be used and even should be used.”
McOmber emphasizes that human physicians should always be involved in patient care, whether writing prescriptions or examining patients to diagnose conditions. In its current form, AI is best suited for simpler tasks, such as gathering useful medical information and patient histories.
“Care decisions ultimately should rest with the physician in consultation with the patient,” McOmber says. “AI, if used inappropriately, can be very dangerous in healthcare.”
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