A prescription refill program that quietly launched in Utah earlier this year has kicked off a big medical debate: Is artificial intelligence ready to take over tasks that, until now, could only be performed by doctors? The program allows Utah residents to get their prescriptions refilled online by an AI chatbot called Doctronic, per the AP—a seemingly simple step toward making healthcare more convenient for patients and prescribers. But it's also a precedent-shattering milestone that has set off alarm bells for doctors, lawyers, and public health experts. The pilot program has laid bare questions about the role of AI in medicine, including how it should be regulated, whether doctors should be able to veto it, and what kind of safety measures are needed.
At the debate's center: State and federal laws limit prescribing to licensed medical professionals. Proponents of the tech say those laws, which have underwritten US medicine for more than 100 years, should be updated to include AI chatbots and other new tech. Experts like Dr. Eric Bressman of the University of Pennsylvania, meanwhile, insist they aren't opposed to AI prescribing, but they say it should have to meet rigorous standards akin to human doctors, who undergo years of testing and training before being licensed to practice medicine.
In Utah, Doctronic was able to launch thanks to a "regulatory sandbox" that allows state officials to waive laws for AI companies offering promising tech. The refill program is currently overseen by a five-member board of AI specialists, none of whom are doctors, who say they've implemented numerous safeguards. During the program's initial phase, for example, human doctors review all Doctronic refill orders. Doctronic's execs wouldn't say whether they've sought an OK from the FDA. "Our goal here is really just to meet patients where they need healthcare," says co-founder Dr. Adam Oskowitz. "We try not to get too deep into the weeds on the regulatory side."
Doctors see potential risks to AI refills. Dr. Alan Smith, the state's medical licensing board chair, notes that Doctronic's list of 190 refillable meds includes blood thinners, which can become dangerous if patients develop stomach ulcers or other conditions that cause internal bleeding. For now, however, Doctronic and other firms are likely to expand across states with different approaches. "Companies may benefit in the short term," says Daniel Aaron of University of Utah's law school. "But in the long-term, I think they risk compromising public trust and fueling backlash." More here.
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