Nolla Health has received regulatory approval to provide AI-issued initial prescriptions. The company will initially offer AI-issued prescriptions for acne treatments in Utah through the Nolla Derm app.  

The company launched an AI pilot program in Utah in September 2026, adding to the state’s growing list of AI pilot programs (see “What an AI Prescription Pilot in Utah Could Mean for Oncology” for more information). Through the pilot, adults in Utah who sign up for the system can receive initial prescriptions and refills for topical acne treatments without an office visit. Oral medications are not currently offered, and the system does not cover severe acne.  

In the first stage of the program, which is limited to 100 patients, a licensed physician will review and approve each AI-generated prescription before it is sent to the patient. In the second stage, covering 500 patients, the system will autonomously issue prescriptions, with a physician conducting daily retrospective reviews. In the third stage, retrospective physician reviews will be conducted weekly on a sample of AI-issued prescriptions. The pilot will run for 1 year, ending October 5, 2027. 

"AI will matter most in health care when it helps people get care they otherwise would not receive," stated Luis Wenus, Co-founder and CEO of Nolla Health, an AI-powered personal health-care company that aims to expand access to clinicians and ongoing care, particularly given that about one in three Americans live in a health-care desert. "With Nolla Derm, we are showing how AI can responsibly expand that access and help someone get personalized treatment in minutes instead of long waits or going without care altogether. That's the future Nolla is building towards: AI helping high-quality health care reach far more people." 

According to the company’s press release, Nolla Health has secured regulatory authorization for the system to provide AI-based initial prescriptions under physician oversight. The company also worked with the Utah Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy and the Utah Medical Board leading up to the launch. Before approval, the program design was externally reviewed by practicing physicians, dermatologists, key stakeholders, and members of the Utah government.  

"The Nolla Health pilot program represents a significant step forward in leveraging AI to improve health-care access for Utahns, while maintaining rigorous oversight and safety," said Zach Boyd, the Director of the Utah Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy. "Our Office facilitates innovative AI solutions while ensuring that public health and patient safety remain paramount." 

The company hopes that by handling routine, low-risk cases, the app will reduce the burden on dermatologists and allow them to focus on higher-risk patients with more complex cases, including those at risk for skin cancer. 

Nolla Health noted that the AI system has already demonstrated strong clinical performance, with licensed clinicians agreeing with more than 96% of its treatment recommendations in real-world cases. The company also stated that the system cannot generate open-ended prescriptions or improvise treatments; instead, it can select only from preapproved treatment pathways based on facial images and structured clinical data.  

"People are right to worry about AI in medicine that nobody can control. This program was built to be the opposite," noted Zaid Fadul, MD, FS, FAAFP, Chief Medical Advisor for Nolla Health, who is also part of the physician team overseeing the Utah pilot.  

"I think this is another example of a pilot program that raises questions about the relationship between state and federal law," Sara Gerke, Professor of Law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law told ASCO AI in Oncology. "State regulatory sandbox frameworks can temporarily waive or modify specific state-law requirements, but not federal ones. Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Nolla Health pilot raises questions like: Is it a medical device? If so, does it need U.S. FDA premarket review, and if so, did it receive FDA marketing permission before the start of the pilot? Can an AI tool initially prescribe or refill a topical acne treatment for adults, or is this limited to licensed human physicians?"

Other Pilot Programs 

In addition to Nolla Health, other newly added AI pilot programs in Utah include August AI, an AI health companion app that will authorize routine prescription refills, and Expect Fitness, which offers an online pelvic floor physical therapy program that will design individualized exercise and care plans for adult women. Neither pilot has begun. 

ASCO AI in Oncology is published by Conexiant under a license arrangement with the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO^®). The ideas and opinions expressed in ASCO AI in Oncology do not necessarily reflect those of Conexiant or ASCO. For more information, see Policies.