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Colorado will try to import prescription drugs from Canada

Posted at 5:34 PM, May 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-17 19:34:55-04

DENVER (AP) — Gov. Jared Polis has signed legislation aimed at lowering prescription costs by importing drugs from Canada.

The Denver Post reports the bill signed Thursday will require federal approval before it can take effect. Polis says he has spoken with President Donald Trump, who has praised a similar plan in Florida.

The law tasks the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing with creating a plan for safely importing Canadian drugs and presenting a proposal to U.S. Health and Human Services by September 2020.

Rep. Jaquez Lewis, a Boulder-area Democrat who sponsored the bill, says too many Coloradans have to choose between feeding their families and paying for life-saving drugs on which they depend.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has called the proposal a gimmick, and some are skeptical it will lower prices.