Upholding Patient Safety

Health plans utilize prior authorization and step therapy protocols in order to safeguard patient safety.

These processes are in place to ensure the highest standard of safety and effectiveness in a number of ways, including:

• Identifying the overprescribing of opioids,
• Implementing age and diagnosis edits consistent with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prescribing guidelines, and
• Preventing drug abuse and fraud.

Safeguarding Access to High-Quality, Affordable Pharmaceuticals

Florida’s health plans fight every day to ensure that its members have access to high-quality prescription drugs at the most affordable cost to the patient, while simultaneously safeguarding patient safety through the use of processes, such as formularies. In fact, formularies have been proven to ensure the highest standard of safety and effectiveness and follow strict guidelines consistent with evidence-based medicine and FDA guidelines.

Revisions to formularies fail to address the root cause of the problem of high drug costs – the unsustainable price increases drug companies try to get away with every year. While the pharmaceutical industry pushes for public policy that stalls more affordable drugs from coming to market and hinders competition, health plans will continue to stand up for patient safety and affordability.