SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Concerns are growing over the safety of artificial intelligence prescribing medications in Utah.

This week, in a letter to the state Department of Commerce, the Utah Medical Licensing Board called for the program’s immediate suspension, citing concerns about medical oversight and whether the technology is being deployed too quickly.

State officials said the effort is about expanding access to care, while the licensing board says patient safety could be at risk.

Some see potential in using AI to make health care faster and more accessible.

MORE | Artificial Intelligence

“I think it definitely has a future, and that future does excite me,” Travis said. “I just think right now we’re not quite there yet.”

This year, the state partnered with Doctronic to pilot an AI system to help renew prescriptions for chronic conditions.

But this week, in a letter to the state Department of Commerce, the Utah Medical Licensing Board said it was only informed after the program was already live.

The Department of Commerce told the station the board was not required to be involved and said licensed medical professionals were consulted before launch. The board has raised concerns that patients could receive outdated or suboptimal care.

State officials said all prescriptions are reviewed by a licensed physician and that there is no autonomous prescribing. They also said the goal is to expand access to care, especially in rural communities and for the uninsured, and that the board will be included in any future expansion.

“I think I’m OK with that,” Julie said. “You might not think you can trust it, but then you can’t trust some of the pharmacy people either as far as getting everything right.”

The letter can be found below:

On January 6, 2026, the State of Utah and Doctronic entered into an agreement to introduce an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered system to “automate routine, guideline-based prescription renewals” for Utah residents. This system will allow “30-, 60-, or 90-day renewals for medications that have already been prescribed by a licensed provider.” The Utah Medical Licensing Board (Medical Board) was made aware of this agreement only after its implementation, once the system was already live and available for use.

The Medical Board is tasked with protecting the public in the State of Utah. While we support the legislative mandate to explore AI implementation, we also have a stewardship to protect Utah citizens. Collectively, the board has decades of medical experience across a variety of specialties, positioning us to understand the potential consequences of implementing what may seem like an innocuous task of AI-driven prescription refills.

Overseeing prescription refills is a task reserved for properly licensed medical practitioners for critical safety and clinical reasons. Each refill requires reassessment and clinical decision-making to safely adjust doses, monitor for side effects, contraindications, or new drug interactions, and ensure the medication remains effective. Patients who continue refilling medications without assessment may remain on outdated or suboptimal therapy for months or years. There is a reason prescription refills require physician authorization.

Proceeding with this agreement without consulting the Medical Board potentially places Utah citizens at risk and remains a major concern of the board. It is imperative that professionals with medical backgrounds review all proposals prior to implementation to ensure these programs do not compromise patient safety. We must not allow AI or other financial motivations to override this obligation, yet that is precisely what occurred here.

It is the strong recommendation of the Utah Medical Licensing Board that this program be immediately suspended pending further discussion.

We look forward to working with the Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy to explore ways to safely implement AI in the practice of medicine.

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LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The Vegas Golden Knights return to the ice for Game 3 against the Mammoth in Utah on Friday.

This will mark the first Stanley Cup Playoff game in Salt Lake City. Active franchises have an all-time record of 12-18-1 in their first-ever postseason home game.

Vegas has a 7-4 playoff series record when tied 1-1. That record falls to 2-4 when they drop Game 3.

Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is two playoff points shy (74) of surpassing Jonathan Marchessault (75) for most in franchise history.

Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A string of road rage incidents across Utah this spring is drawing renewed attention to a relatively new state law aimed at curbing violent driving behavior — and early data shows one month consistently stands out.

2News analyzed figures from the Utah Highway Patrol on how often troopers have used the state’s road rage enhancement law since it took effect in July 2024. The data, which reflects UHP enforcement only, reveals that March has recorded the highest number of road rage charges in both 2025 and, so far, 2026.

“You know, when things happen, you can’t take them back,” said Peter Salm. “It’s permanent.”

Salm’s brother and his brother’s girlfriend were killed in 2023 when a driver lost control during a road rage incident and hit them head-on. The tragedy helped spur Salm’s push for tougher penalties, which ultimately became law.

“Sadly, there’s still way too many people out there who don’t seem to get the message,” Salm said.

Before the law, UHP said it had no formal way to track road rage incidents.

“It seemed like they were getting more frequent,” said Lt. Cameron Roden, a public information officer with UHP.

Since data collection began, troopers have averaged about 14 road rage cases per month in 2025 where the enhancement law was applied. But March stands apart.

“We had a really high month a year ago March where we had probably the highest month that we saw with 31 incidents,” Roden said. “So maybe a little bit eye-opening for us.”

In March 2026, troopers have recorded 16 incidents so far, again the highest monthly total this year.

MORE | Road Rage

Roden said the reason for the spike is unclear.

“You know a lot of it is kind of speculation at this point looking forward,” he said, suggesting seasonal factors could play a role as more drivers return to the roads after winter.

The law is also giving investigators a clearer picture of whether enforcement efforts are working.

“It’s not something that’s going to go away overnight,” Roden said. “Just because the law is there, we still are experiencing these things.”

Salm echoed that sentiment.

“Sadly, it’s going to probably be a slower process than what I would like to see as well as the highway patrol,” he said.

Additional UHP data on road rage and aggressive driving crashes from 2018 through 2026 shows patterns in where and when incidents occur:

• 53% happen on Interstate 15.
• 46% occur in Salt Lake County.
• 17% take place on Saturdays, the highest of any day; Tuesdays have the fewest.
• 31% result in injury or death.

The data also shows impairment is not a factor in most cases, with only 10% involving an impaired driver. However, among those who were impaired, 35% had a blood alcohol content above .16.

Salm said the numbers underscore a simple message for drivers.

“You need to be careful what you’re doing and just slow down and just let it go,” he said. “You don’t need to act out against somebody who’s cut you off. It doesn’t really solve anything.”

Reflecting on his own loss, he added a final warning:

“You know, when things happen, you can’t take them back. It’s permanent. It’s my brother’s situation. There’s nothing we can do on this planet anymore to bring them back. They’re gone forever. Your best option is to not do it in the first place — just bite your tongue, just let it go and go back home, see your loved ones and blow off some steam and live another day.”

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