There is actually quite a bit a hospital nurse and/or lactation consultant can
do to curb the marketing of formula in hospitals. Rather than remaining in the
role of the knight on the white horse, contact the Quality Improvement
Department of your hospital and ask that the issue of formula discharge packs
or whatever become an issue tackled by this unit.

Depending on how far you are willing to stick your neck out, you can also
inform the president of the hospital, the chief executive officer, and the
entire board of directors of the practice of accepting free formula, gifts for
staff, and the large amounts of cash that many hospitals take. Ask your
hospital ethics committee if the hospital is acting in an ethical manner when
it begins to allow commercial interests to dictate health care. When companies
can "require" nurses to give out materials with a known health risk to
patients, it is really time to look at your scope of practice and ask your
state nurses association about the legality of this practice.

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, Massachusetts