AI Starts Writing Acne Prescriptions for Patients in Utah

People in the US state of Utah can now get medicine for skin problems directly from an artificial intelligence system. Healthcare startup Nolla Health launched a new smartphone app that scans a user's face, checks the severity of their acne, and writes a prescription automatically without seeing a doctor first.

without seeing a doctor first= 表示「未事先看醫生的情況下」，without 後接動名詞 (-ing) 表否定條件。severity of= 表示「……的嚴重程度」。

The service costs $4.99 per month and is available to Utah residents who are at least 18 years old and have mild-to-moderate acne. The AI can currently prescribe eight different skin treatments. If the system cannot confidently choose a safe treatment, it refers the patient to a human physician.

available to= 表示「可供（特定對象）使用或利用」。refers ... to= 表示「將（患者）轉診至（其他醫生或專家）」。

Nolla Health claims it is the first company in the United States to issue initial prescriptions using AI, rather than just renewing existing medications. Utah allowed AI systems to renew certain prescriptions earlier this year, but this program goes further. To protect patient safety during the pilot program, two doctors will review every prescription before it is sent to the first 100 patients.

rather than= 表示「而不是」，用來對比兩種選擇或動作。goes further= 表示「更進了一步；採取更進一步的行動」。

As the program expands up to 500 patients and beyond, doctors will review prescriptions after they are issued and regularly check a sample of cases each month. The company says the technology is designed to help rather than replace doctors, giving dermatologists—skin care specialists—more time to focus on patients with complex medical conditions.

designed to= 表示「旨在做……；設計用來做……」。focus on= 表示「專注於……；集中精力處理……」。

學習筆記

文法整理

句型	意思
without seeing a doctor first	表示「未事先看醫生的情況下」，without 後接動名詞 (-ing) 表否定條件。
severity of	表示「……的嚴重程度」。
available to	表示「可供（特定對象）使用或利用」。
refers ... to	表示「將（患者）轉診至（其他醫生或專家）」。
rather than	表示「而不是」，用來對比兩種選擇或動作。
goes further	表示「更進了一步；採取更進一步的行動」。
designed to	表示「旨在做……；設計用來做……」。
focus on	表示「專注於……；集中精力處理……」。

詞彙整理

單字	意思
severity	某種不理想或令人不快的事物所達到的嚴重程度，例如疼痛、天氣或犯罪情節的嚴重程度。
prescription	須憑醫師開立的處方箋才能購買或使用的（藥物）。
physician	取得行醫執照、負責診斷及治療疾病的醫師；醫生。
refers	提到或談及某人、某事物；指涉。
pilot program	為測試某項措施或作法的可行性，在正式全面推行前先行實施的試辦計畫。

延伸學習

•在醫療法規中，『續開現有處方』與『開立初始處方』有著本質上的法規差異，後者代表 AI 醫療應用的重大突破。
•試行計畫中安排兩名醫生進行事前審查，旨在確保 AI 診斷活用的安全性，並減輕醫療自動化過程中的法規疑慮。