Here is my take on this issue.

1.  The IBLCE Code of Ethics at principle 24 says:  IBCLCs must support and
follow the WHO Code.

2.  The IBLCE Code of Ethics at principles 5 & 17 says:  IBCLCs should avoid
conflicts of interest involving commercial interests.

3.  The WHO Code at Article 7 says that the marketers of WHO-Code-covered
products (bottles, teats, formula and
foods-pushed-on-children-to-replace-BF) should not offer, nor should health
care providers like IBCLCs accept, any "financial or material inducements"
(freebies, samples, meals, trinkets, free education sessions, etc).

4.  If a WHO-Code-marketer is involved in an education session (i.e. has a
booth at a conference -- some venues permit this) the information provided
must be "scientific and factual."  No freebies, no trinkets, no
logo-emblazoned tote bags or lanyards or pens or kincki-knacks can be
offered -- see 3. above.

5.  IBLCE will not award CERPs for any education offered by any commercial
vendor, least of all WHO-Code-violators.  See
http://americas.iblce.org/what-are-cerps; scroll way to the bottom of the
page.  So, no CERPS will be awarded if the class if offered up by a pump
company or pillow company or sling maker who is fully WHO-Code-compliant
.... and they won't award CERPs for a pump company or bottle maker
or formula manufacturer that is not WHO-Code-compliant.  The entities that
aware CMEs and CEUs use their own (and different) standards for what wil be
considered "award worthy," so an RN IBCLC who goes to the pump company talk
may find she can get CEUs even if she can't get CERPs.

6.  In a masterful case of Finding the Loophole, some WHO-Code-violating
companies have created educational sessions where attendees are asked to PAY
to be there -- rather than get an outright freebie -- thereby skirting the
issue at 3. above.

7.  ALL HCPs have a professional responsibility to provide healthcare, free
of inappropriate commercial bias and conflicts-of-interest, alluded to at 2.
above for IBCLCs.

8.  Commercial interests have a professional responsibility to make money;
for them, commerical bias is what it is all about.   This -- in and of
itself -- is not illegal or immoral or unethical or even bad manners.  It is
simply what commercial interests do.  It is why they were created.  I am
typing this post on a computer that was created by a commercial interest
that wanted to make money designing, marketing and selling it to me.  It is
legal moral and ethical for the computer company to do so.

9.  ALL HCPs must ask themselves:  if my education is being provided by a
commercial interest, am I getting hearing independent information that has
been critically reviewed by peers?  Or am I receviing marketing messages
cloaked as education?  Some distinguished scholars feel that commerce and
medicine cannot ethically co-mingle; the opportunity for overt and subtle
commerical bias to result is simply too great. See
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22942/.  The problem is profound; the
amounts of mony involved are staggering.  If you want an eyeful, see
http://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/.

10.  Result:
* IBCLCs should never accept freebie education from WHO Code violators.
* IBCLCs will find that education from commercial sources -- even if they
paid for it -- will not be eligible for CERPs.
* ALL HCPs should be leery of education offered by a commercial vendor --
whether they pay for it or not -- primarily because of conflict and bias
concerns, not WHO Code or continuing education credit issues.

-- 
Liz Brooks JD IBCLC FILCA
Wyndmoor, PA, USA

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