Utah Expands AI Prescribing Pilot, Adds Fast Track and Audits
Utah's Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy expanded its AI prescribing experiment this month, approving what one company calls the nation's first AI tool authorized to write new prescriptions, creating a fast-track pathway for two Salt Lake City health systems to launch future AI pilots, and adding outside evaluators to verify vendor safety claims. The moves build on a prescription-renewal pilot running since late 2025 with Doctronic, which has moved through phased physician oversight, and a similar pilot for Legion Health's psychiatric medication refills launched in April. Early data showed the AI recommending renewals in 72% of cases with 91% physician agreement, though the state has tightened formularies and liability terms after findings from third-party red-teaming. The Utah Medical Licensing Board has pushed back, demanding a halt over patient-safety concerns, while researchers and the AMA have separately questioned FDA device status and scope-creep risks.