Utah’s first step toward importing drugs from Canada has died. But lawmakers remain interested, warning ‘people are going without their medicines and bad things are happening.’

Utah lawmakers were considering taking the first steps toward importing prescription drugs from Canada, where prices for some medications are a fraction of what is charged in the United States.

But after pharmaceutical industry representatives warned of potential challenges under federal law, state senators decided it was not worth trying.

“It’s not gonna happen,” said Senate Majority Leader — and pharmacy owner — Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, at a Friday committee hearing where HB267 failed 2-5. “I’m having a hard time even justifying trying to go through the effort to do an application” to federal officials.

It is generally illegal to import drugs into the United States, but a never-before-used law gives the U.