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In the NoCo

Colorado leaders are working to lower drug costs by importing medications from Canada. Could it work?

FILE - A blue pen containing the injectable drug Ozempic sits on its red and white carton. It's one of more than a dozen prescription drugs Colorado could begin importing from Canada.
David J. Phillip
/
AP
The injectable drug Ozempic is one of 20 prescription drugs Colorado could begin importing from Canada.

Colorado leaders have a unique plan to make cheaper prescription drugs available. It’s starting to move forward after seven years in development – but the chances of success are uncertain.

Gov. Jared Polis says Americans are getting “ripped off” when it comes to prescription drug prices. And he's looking to Canada to help remedy the situation. The plan calls for importing drugs from Canada, where prices are lower.

The project just passed a key milestone for approval from federal regulators. But it still has some major hurdles to clear before it actually lowers the price of what’s in your medicine cabinet.

John Ingold covers healthcare for the Colorado Sun, and wrote about the plan. He joined Erin O’Toole to talk about how the plan would work – and its long odds of success.

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.
Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.
As the host of KUNC’s news program and podcast In The NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.