This bill establishes new provisions in Florida law regarding the coverage of prescription drugs for pain management, specifically focusing on nonopioid pain drugs. It creates two new sections in the Florida Statutes: 409.9064 and 409.9746. Both sections define "nonopioid pain drug" as a nonopioid medication approved by the FDA for pain treatment and mandate that the Medicaid program and Medicaid managed care plans provide coverage that does not disadvantage these nonopioid drugs compared to opioid or narcotic drugs. The bill outlines prohibited practices, such as designating nonopioid pain drugs as nonpreferred if opioids are preferred, and imposing more restrictive utilization controls on nonopioid drugs than those applied to opioids.

The bill aims to ensure equitable treatment of nonopioid pain medications in the context of pain management, thereby encouraging their use and potentially reducing reliance on opioids. It specifies that any utilization controls for nonopioid pain drugs must not be more restrictive than those for opioids, including prior authorization and step-therapy requirements. The provisions of this act are set to take effect on July 1, 2025.