Utah is piloting the first state-approved AI system for routine prescription renewals. Partnering with Doctronic (New York), the program tests autonomous AI to improve medication adherence, patient access, and healthcare efficiency under strict regulatory oversight.
Salt Lake City, Utah — January 6, 2026
Utah has become the first U.S. state to authorize an AI system to participate in medical decision-making for prescription renewals. In a partnership with Doctronic, a New York-based health platform built around autonomous AI, the state will test whether AI can safely handle routine medication refills for patients with chronic conditions.
The pilot operates under Utah’s regulatory sandbox framework, which allows limited, closely monitored experimentation with emerging technologies. Doctronic’s AI will evaluate patient history, prescription data, and clinical safety rules to approve routine refills, with physicians maintaining oversight and the ability to override decisions.
Medication noncompliance is a major driver of poor health outcomes and preventable costs, contributing to more than $100 billion in avoidable medical expenses annually. Prescription renewals make up roughly 80% of all medication activity, and Utah officials hope the program will reduce delays that lead to missed doses while easing administrative burdens on clinicians.
The pilot will track adherence, refill timeliness, patient satisfaction, safety outcomes, workflow efficiency, and cost impacts. Findings will be shared publicly, offering a potential model for other states exploring autonomous AI in regulated industries.
"Utah's approach to regulatory mitigation strikes a vital balance between fostering innovation and ensuring consumer safety, said Margaret Woolley Busse, Executive Director of the Utah Department of Commerce. “By creating a supportive environment for companies like Doctronic AI, the Utah Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy provides the certainty necessary for them to develop impactful solutions while prioritizing the well-being of Utahns."
Doctronic Co-CEO Matt Pavelle added, “This is a major milestone to demonstrate how AI can improve access to care and health outcomes. This partnership with Utah enables patients, pharmacists, and physicians to work together more efficiently, with measurable results that benefit the entire healthcare system. We hope other states follow Utah's lead.”
Utah joins a small but growing group of states experimenting with AI sandboxes, including Arizona, Texas, and Wyoming, signaling a national push to create safe, testable pathways for AI in healthcare and other high-stakes industries.
"Health care has become too complex and expensive for Utah families. Utah is leading efforts to simplify costs and lower prescription drug prices through our ‘regulatory sandbox,’ which fosters innovation and helps patients get the medications they need while reducing costs and building trust in the process,” said Senator Kirk Cullimore, sponsor of the legislation that created regulatory mitigation authority. “This partnership with Doctronic reinforces the principle of ‘doctor, not device,’ ensuring automation supports, rather than replaces, human judgment as we lead the nation in responsible healthcare policy.”
The pilot is tracking medication refill timeliness and adherence, patient access and satisfaction, safety outcomes, workflow efficiency, and cost impacts. Findings will be shared publicly to inform future state and federal AI policy.
Learn more at doctronic.ai and ai.utah.gov/agreements/.