A Florida House committee voted Tuesday to advance legislation aimed at lowering prescription drug costs, despite concerns from pharmaceutical industry representatives about potential drug shortages.

The House Budget Committee approved the bill 22-2. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Kincart Jonsson, R-Lakeland, must clear the Health & Human Services Committee before reaching the full House floor.

The legislation would implement a “most favored nation” system for drug pricing. Under this approach, Florida would analyze prescription drug prices in certain other countries and use those prices to set limits on what state residents pay for medications.

Kincart Jonsson said Americans and Floridians are paying higher prices than consumers in other countries. “Americans and Floridians are subsidizing the world,” she stated during the committee meeting.

However, pharmaceutical industry officials strongly oppose the proposal. Sharon Lamberton, a lobbyist for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, described the legislation as a “price control bill” that would harm patient access to medicines.

“It will harm patients and access to medicines,” Lamberton said, warning the measure could result in shortages of certain medications. Industry representatives also pointed out that drug prices are currently set as part of a national system.

A similar bill has been filed in the Senate by Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach.

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