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Tue, 29 Aug 2006 08:39:51 EDT |
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Mary's story is all too common. At NABA and at Ban the Bags we have noted
that hospitals who have eliminated discharge bags have been blitzed by formula
reps offering other goods and services, especially educational offerings. I
just wrote and posted a corporate compliance document at the Ban the Bags
website, _www.banthebags.org_ (http://www.banthebags.org) , which may help in this
situation. The May 31, 2003 issue of the British Medical Journal is full of
articles on the relationship between pharmaceutical companies and health care
providers, all of which is applicable to formula reps. Another good article
is:
Katz D, Caplan AL, Merz JF. All gifts large and small: toward an
understanding of the ethics of pharmaceutical industry gift giving. Am J Bioethics 2003;
3:39-46
NABA's "Selling Out Mothers and Babies: Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes
in the USA" also discusses these practices.
This is a tactic to ingratiate themselves into a hospital maternity unit by
appearing to offer the gift of "free" education. Nothing is free. Gift-giving
is a reciprocal behavior with something expected in return, usually to look
favorably upon the gift-giver and reinstate the discharge bags. Remember that
formula reps, as all drug company reps, are picked for their ability to
"seduce and persuade" rather than for their scientific knowledge. Reps carefully
court nurses because as an old Ross employee manual states, "Never
underestimate the role of nurses. If they are sold and serviced properly, they can be
strong allies. A nurse who supports Ross is like another salesman." Falling
prey to slick marketing tactics cheapens the nursing profession, places our
patients at risk, and allows industry to dictate health care. These educational
offerings may violate your own hospital's vendor policy and flirts dangerously
close to violating the Federal anti-kickback statute.
Both NABA and Ban the Bags are working to provide resources that will help
eliminate some of this marketing. NABA is just completing its second round of
Code monitoring in the US and will be publishing the US country report soon
(as soon as we can find funding to print it!). Ban the Bags is forming a
strategic plan for helping the nation rid hospitals units of the undue influence of
formula companies on clinicians and new mothers. Please let Ban the Bags
know if your hospital is bag free by visiting the website and filling out a
short form. You can see a list of all of the hospitals we know of so far that
have eliminated the bags. Get these reps off the maternity unit and spend the
time they waste with their visits and "educational" offerings on the mothers
who need our help.
Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA
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