Utah Tests AI For Routine Medication Refills Through Regulatory Relief Program

The state of Utah has launched the first real-world test of AI as an autonomous clinical decision-maker by partnering with startup Doctronic under a regulatory sandbox program. The pilot allows residents to use an AI agent to renew routine prescriptions almost instantly, eliminating the need to wait days or weeks for a doctor’s appointment for common medication refills. State officials and Doctronic say the initiative targets a widespread pain point for patients, pharmacists, and clinicians, while improving medication adherence and preventing avoidable health issues.

The AI system is limited to refilling 191 commonly prescribed medications, including drugs for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, mental health conditions, and birth control. It explicitly excludes higher-risk medications such as narcotics, stimulants, injectables, and short-term antibiotics. All refills must be for medications previously prescribed by a licensed clinician and already taken by the patient. The approved formulary was reviewed by independent pharmacists and state regulators.

Utah’s authority to run the program stems from an AI regulatory sandbox created in 2024, which allows the state to temporarily suspend or waive certain laws—such as those governing licensure, scope of practice, professional conduct, and telehealth prescribing—to test novel approaches. Zach Boyd, director of Utah’s Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy, said the state’s role is to carefully redraw regulatory boundaries, gather evidence, and determine whether such models can be safely scaled.

Safety and oversight are central to the pilot’s design. The rollout occurs in phases, with the first 250 refills reviewed by a human clinician, followed by a period of 10% case sampling, and eventually random audits as the AI gains more autonomy. Doctronic is required to provide monthly reports detailing usage, refill approvals and denials, clinician reviews, user complaints, and observed trends. The company also agreed to strict data privacy requirements and ongoing state oversight.

Doctronic leaders said the program focuses on low-risk, clerical-heavy tasks that can safely be automated, freeing clinicians from administrative work. The company is already in discussions with regulators in other states, including Arizona and Texas, and has engaged with federal health officials. Utah officials say the goal is to build a strong evidence base for best practices in AI-driven care—something that would not be legally possible without the sandbox approach.