House Bill 1741, also known as Senate Bill 1790, amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated to enhance the treatment of pain through the use of non-opioid medications. The bill introduces a new section in Title 41, Chapter 21, Part 2, defining key terms such as "healthcare prescriber," "insurance policy," "insurer," and "non-opioid medication." It allows insurers to adopt or amend a preferred drug list (PDL) while ensuring that non-opioid medications approved by the FDA for pain management are not disadvantaged compared to opioid medications. However, the bill clarifies that insurers can still prefer one opioid over another or one non-opioid over another.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that the provisions regarding non-opioid medications apply after they have been FDA-approved for at least nine months for pain treatment, regardless of their review status by the insurer for inclusion on the PDL. This legislation aims to promote the use of non-opioid alternatives in pain management, thereby addressing concerns related to opioid prescriptions. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2027.