>
>
>Heather.
>	The real reason it is so difficult to get rid of formula samples in
>the US hospitals is that WE have to make the ABM companies happy!  Yep, you
>heard that right.  I was employed in a very large hospital (500-600 beds,)
>our NBN alternated the sample packs and the formula given re: the month.
>The even months they were given E______ and on the odd months they received
>S_____!  Reason being, the ABM companies give the hospital a lot of stuff.
>Like a multi-million $$$ 28 bed, Level III NICU fully paid for by one of the
>formula companies and of course all the free ABM, D5W, Sterile Water,
>bottles, nipples, pacifiers, crib cards, tape measurers, pens, food, gifts
>and on and on and on!  The hospital is NOT willing to spend the $$$ on those
>things when they can get them free by sleeping with the ABM companies!


That's my point, Royce - individual hospitals then make the decision 
to not challenge this wholly unethical relationship, rather than it 
being the law that this relationship cannot  be in place.

Our experience here is that it will not cease unless it becomes 
illegal - amazing, isn't it, that senior  healthcare professionals 
and their managers and administrators have to be forced by law into 
ethical behaviours and choices?

>	Makes me want to puke.  All the time I was there, I said "no" to
>free gifts, food, etc and what I heard from the other RN's was, "Oh well,
>more for us!"


And just a reminder which you won't need, but others forget - it 
isn't 'free'.....it is paid for by the cost of the formula to 
mothers, and by their health and the health of their babies, yes, 
every last pen, notepad and tape measure.

BTW, gifts to hcps are not illegal in the UK, sadly, but I do see 
fewer of them on display, as there is a growing embarrassment about 
them (just my impression....maybe they hide 'em when I'm around, but 
when I have a training session, and we discuss gifts, there is 
definitely more censoriousness than there used to be).

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK

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