FILE - In this June 14, 2011, file photo, various prescription drugs on the automated pharmacy assembly line at Medco Health Solutions in Willingboro, N.J. Medicare recipients cut back on pricey brand-name drugs but they still had to spend more on such medications anyway, according to a government report that blames rising manufacturer prices for squeezing older people and taxpayers. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

DENVER  |  Colorado’s governor says he has received support from President Donald Trump for a state plan to lower prescription costs by importing drugs from Canada.

The Colorado Sun reports that Democratic Gov. Jared Polis spoke with Trump by phone Wednesday and received the president’s backing for a drug importation bill.

Trump’s support may remove uncertainty about a plan state lawmakers hope can cut prices by as much as 50% for certain drugs in the program, which will ultimately require federal approval.

The state continues to put together details including a list of eligible drugs.

A Democratic lawmaker who sponsored the bill says gaining Trump’s backing is “half the battle.”

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has criticized the idea that importing drugs from Canada can lower prices in America.

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Information from: The Colorado Sun, https://coloradosun.com