Utah launches AI service for acne prescriptions

People living in Utah may now obtain acne medication in just a few minutes using a mobile application, eliminating the need for conventional doctor visits. On October 5, Nolla Health introduced this service, marking the nation’s inaugural regulatory clearance for artificial-intelligence-driven initial prescriptions. The Nolla Derm platform is available to Utah adults aged 18 or older for a subscription beginning at $4.99 per month, the company’s news release states.

Built-in physician oversight

Nolla Health said physician oversight is built into each stage of the program. For the first 100 patients, a licensed physician reviews and approves every AI-generated prescription before the patient receives it. Through the first 500 patients, the AI issues prescriptions on its own, and a physician reviews them each day after they go out. After that, a physician reviews a sample of prescriptions once a week.

The AI system used by Nolla Health is not capable of creating open-ended prescriptions or devising its own treatments. Instead, it selects from pre-approved treatment pathways based on structured clinical data and facial scan analysis. If the AI is unsure about a treatment, the patient is referred to a licensed physician.

Nolla Health Chief Medical Advisor Zaid Fadul, M.D., stated, “People are right to worry about AI in medicine that nobody can control. This program was built to be the opposite.” He also noted, “The AI can’t improvise.

Access and wait times

Nolla Health highlighted the challenges faced by Utah residents in accessing dermatology care, with average wait times of 61 days, nearly double the national median. Additionally, 11 counties in Utah have no dermatologists, and only 10% of the estimated 100,000 residents with active acne receive treatment from a dermatologist.

Patients who do get an appointment can pay up to $300 per visit. Untreated acne can lead to permanent scarring while patients wait, which raises treatment costs further, the company said. Nolla Health described acne as a well-understood, low-risk condition with decades of clinical evidence behind it. The company said the pilot is meant to complement physicians, not replace them, by handling routine, low-acuity cases. That frees dermatologists to focus on complex, high-risk patients, including those at risk for skin cancer.

The Nolla Health app not only generates initial prescriptions but also includes follow-up care. Patients undergo daily skin scans to track progress, and treatment plans are updated monthly based on patient response. When patients have questions, they can message a licensed physician through the app, ensuring they always receive human support.

How the approval came together

Nolla Health secured approval for its AI system after collaborating with the Utah Office of Artificial Intelligence for several months. The company also consulted with the Utah Medical Board prior to launch, incorporating their feedback into the final program. The pilot was reviewed by practicing physicians, dermatologists, stakeholders, and Utah government officials before its launch.

The company said licensed clinicians agree with the AI’s treatment recommendations in more than 96% of real-world cases. In the rest, clinicians made minor adjustments, such as changing the strength of a topical medication, rather than disagreeing with the treatment itself, according to Nolla Health.

About Nolla Health

Nolla Health is headquartered in New York and operates in 44 states, where its Nolla Derm app has been downloaded by more than 175,000 people, according to the company. When the company launched in the United States in September 2025, it described its acne treatment as clinician-reviewed treatment plans prescribed asynchronously, meaning clinicians reviewed cases without a live visit, according to a company blog post at the time. That expansion was backed by a $4.5 million pre-seed funding round led by venture capital firm General Catalyst.