Startup issues AI-generated acne prescriptions in Utah pilot

Utah has approved a pilot program from healthcare startup Nolla Health that allows residents aged 18 and older with mild-to-moderate acne to receive AI-generated prescriptions through the company’s app. The service uses an AI system to scan a user’s face, analyze acne severity, and autonomously write a prescription. The pilot is designed to complement, not replace, physicians by handling routine, low-acuity cases, according to Nolla Health.

The program begins with tiered physician oversight: two physicians will approve each AI-generated prescription before issuance for the first 100 patients. After that, physicians will review a sample of at least 10% of prescriptions monthly, plus any cases involving escalation or side effects. Nolla Health states the AI can currently prescribe eight different skin treatments.

The service costs $4.99 per month and applies only to Utah residents. If the AI system cannot confidently select a treatment, users are directed to a physician. Nolla Health says it is the first in the country to issue initial prescriptions via AI, rather than renewals, under Utah’s expanded permissions for AI in healthcare.

Utah began allowing AI systems to renew certain medications earlier in 2026, and several other healthcare companies in the state are experimenting with AI-generated prescriptions. Nolla Health’s pilot represents an expansion of AI’s role in medical decision-making beyond renewals to initial prescriptions.