Doctors sound alarm as AI starts renewing prescriptions without a checkup

Can an artificial intelligence chatbot legally prescribe your medication? Not officially — but that boundary is already being tested in several states.

State and federal laws have long limited prescribing to licensed medical professionals. Now, states including Utah, Texas and Wyoming are using regulatory workarounds to let AI companies test automated prescription renewals, and lawmakers in Iowa, Idaho and other states are weighing bills to make it official.

In Utah, residents can already renew prescriptions through an AI chatbot called Doctronic instead of visiting a doctor. Supporters say the technology could free doctors to manage far more patients. But physicians and legal experts warn the risks are real, especially for medications such as blood thinners, which can turn dangerous if a patient’s health changes.

“Just because something was prescribed before does not mean it’s appropriate now,” said Dr. Alan Smith, a family physician who chairs a state medical licensing board.

No federal agency is closely policing the trend. The Food and Drug Administration says it hasn’t authorized any AI prescribing tool and is taking a hands-off approach for now, leaving oversight scattered across states with different rules.

Dr. Eric Bressman of the University of Pennsylvania said the shift marks a turning point. “We have crossed a threshold in terms of giving something that is not human a medical license, whether or not we want to call it that,” Dr. Bressman said.

Read more:

• Is AI ready to take over your prescriptions? Doctors are wary of Utah’s automated refill program

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