Zane DeSilva has been one of the more energetic Ministers in Premier Paula Cox’s Cabinet, having thrown himself into the job of Health Minister with great zeal and an eye for the photo opportunity every bit as sharp as his political mentor, Dr Ewart Brown.Indeed, people might be forgiven for wondering if there is any medical procedure Mr DeSilva would refuse when it is a particular condition or illness’s Awareness Month or Week.But Mr DeSilva has also received credit for absorbing himself in the detail of his portfolio. Clearly his construction knowledge is important as his Ministry exercises some oversight of the new hospital, but he also needs to have a firm grasp of the other policy issues that will arise.The soaring cost of healthcare is rightly on the top of that list, and Mr DeSilva is right to try to reduce the cost of drugs, one of the major contributors to costs. But in refusing to listen to the advice of the experts in the field on the advisability of importing drugs from Israel, India and Brazil, he has made a rare misstep.Some weeks ago, Mr DeSilva announced that Government would allow the importation of drugs from those countries, where many generic drugs are manufactured.No pharmacist has a problem with that. But India and Brazil are also home to many companies which make counterfeit drugs which can be fatal. Counterfeiting is a growing problem, especially on the Internet but also through other means.But for some reason, the Ministry of Health did very little consulting with pharmacists before making the announcement. Had they done so, they would have realised the depth of concern among pharmacists and physicians. The pharmacists then proposed that the drugs not be allowed to be imported until a sensible screening policy for the manufacturers has been devise. This might take until the end of the year.While it would be preferable to have more affordable medicines in Bermuda now, this does not seem to be an unreasonable suggestion, considering the risks.Bur Mr DeSilva has refused, and the Order came into effect on Friday. Mr DeSilva also displayed some confused logic in coming to his decision, which is worrying given the inherent risks in the Health Ministry. It is a complex area and it is not an overstatement that it involves matters of life and death.Mr DeSilva’s primary reasoning was that pharmacists have historically been responsible and will continue to be responsible in the current circumstances.That may be so, and generally less regulation is to be preferred over more regulation. But regulations are needed to prevent the minority from doing something foolish. Mr DeSilva’s rationale is like saying because most people drive under a certain speed there’s no need for a speed limit.More to the point, if the pharmacists decide not to import generic drugs from these countries in order to avoid the risk of unknowingly buying counterfeits, as seems likely, then Mr DeSilva’s efforts to get cheaper drugs for people are undermined anyway.The sad part is that all of this could have been avoided with proper consultation and it is unclear why this did not take place. In the next few years, the Health Ministry is going to face more complicated decisions in the future about affordability and access to healthcare. It is to be hoped a lesson has been learned.