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Minnesotans Question, Praise Trump Drug Import Plan

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota residents are praising and questioning the Trump administration's plan to allow the importation of cheaper prescription drugs from Canada.

The proposal would enable states to launch their own drug importation programs as long as they ensure medicines are safe and consumers see a "significant reduction" in costs.

The plan says insulin could be imported only if manufacturers agreed to allow reimportation of their own drugs from foreign countries. That isn't unlikely because drugmakers called reimportation dangerous.

Insulin prices have soared in recent years, driving some diabetics to ration medicine or seek black market sources.

Travis Paulson, who has diabetes, says the drug industry hasn't proven it will do "the right thing."

Minnesota advocacy groups hope the plan will help patients struggling with high and rising drug prices.

(© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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