First in Safety

Letter to Congress

Sent by Becton Dickinson CEO, Clateo Castellini, to all members of the United States Congress in June 1998.

My name is Clateo Castellini and I am the Chairman and CEO of Becton Dickinson. With over 18,000 employees worldwide and manufacturing sites both in the U.S. and abroad, we are a global leader in the manufacture and sale of medical supplies, diagnostic devices and specimen collection systems. We are also a leading domestic supplier of "sharps products" - hypodermic needles, syringes, and catheters - for use by health care professionals, research institutions and the general public.

In recent months, the topic of health care worker safety has received substantial media attention. The focus has been on accidental infection with blood-borne diseases that have resulted when caregivers inadvertently stick themselves with hypodermic needles and other "sharps" while treating patients. While some of this coverage has been sensationalized and simply inaccurate, it has served the important function of raising awareness of this vitally important issue among the general public.

Becton Dickinson: A leader in health care safety Because Becton Dickinson is a leader in the field of health care worker safety, I would like to take this opportunity to offer our perspective and provide important information about the many steps we have taken to protect health care workers from contracting infectious diseases through "sharps" injuries.

The fact is that Becton Dickinson has played a major role in promoting health care worker safety for more than half a century. We welcome broad discussion of this issue, and we want to be a leader in partnership with government in shaping regulatory initiatives to confront the safety and economic challenges that face health care providers today.

With a 100-year heritage, Becton Dickinson continues to be the leader in the development and manufacture of an unrivaled array of safe, effective, high-quality sharps products used by millions of health care professionals throughout the world. Such products include devices with safety features specifically designed to protect health care workers from infection. We were the first company to offer the safety-engineered syringe, and we have sustained our commitment to this area through the development and marketing of literally hundreds of safety devices in the past 10 years alone.

We believe that safety is critical in any instance where a caregiver is at risk in ministering to a patient. Even one potential exposure to a blood-borne disease through sharps injury is one too many. That is why Becton Dickinson has made a commitment to this issue on a variety of fronts, including:

1) Research and Development: Innovation and invention in the field of product development lie at the core of health care worker safety, and Becton Dickinson is a leader in the field. We have spent almost $100 million in safety R&D and the acquisition of innovative safety products and technologies over the last five years. In fact, Becton Dickinson was awarded the 1998 gold medal for engineering excellence from Product Development and Design Magazine for its SafetyGlide™ syringe.

2) Education and Training: Educating health care workers about risks and providing them with the training to ensure proper use of products are key elements in promoting safety. In 1991, Becton Dickinson launched the Safety Compliance Initiative, an educational program to raise end-user awareness of the risks of needlestick injuries. We also funded and helped develop an authoritative Bloodborne Pathogens Training Program in 1992 as part of a joint venture with the American Medical Association and OSHA.

3) Promotion and Outreach: Raising awareness of health care worker safety within the industry through promotion will further reduce sharps injury by bringing this important issue to the forefront of the health care workplace. Becton Dickinson operates the Vacutainer Safety Institute, founded in 1993, that disseminates information about laboratory safety. We are also one of the largest sponsors of the National Campaign for Health Care Worker Safety.

4) Study and Research: As with any other important health care issue, the incidence of sharps-related injuries and infections should be studied to monitor trends and ensure that safety initiatives are working. In 1996, Becton Dickinson endowed the Becton Dickinson Professorship in Health Care Worker Safety at the University of Virginia, currently held by Dr. Janine Jagger, the director of the International Health Care Worker Safety Center. Becton Dickinson also funded and bears a percentage of the operational costs for EPINet, an international computerized needlestick surveillance program.

Government and industry cooperation essential These are a few examples of the ways in which Becton Dickinson has attempted to address the critically important issue of health care worker safety. In addition to these efforts, it is our view that close cooperation between market leaders, health care providers and legislators is essential in formulating regulatory responses to this issue. We at Becton Dickinson have worked extensively with health care providers and others, including group purchasing organizations (GPOs) and large hospital groups, to significantly reduce expenses and take costs out of the health care system.

The cost pressures that currently exist in the health care industry, which have been well-documented through the emergence of managed care organizations over the past decade, directly affect which products are available to those providing care to patients. It may be the case that the availability of medical supplies with safety features is significantly impacted by these factors. Some form of regulation or other government involvement may be required to address this problem.

I want to stress that Becton Dickinson would support government action to further ensure health care worker safety, including legislation, regulations, guidelines, or other solutions that ensure health care workers have access to sharps products with enhanced safety features. Such proposals should continue to assure quality patient care, facilitate the introduction of new generations of these products and not require health care workers to use a specific manufacturer's products.

Because of our demonstrated commitment to identifying and delivering optimal health care worker safety solutions, we would appreciate the opportunity to participate in the evolving discussion of this issue in partnership with government leaders. "Helping all people live healthy lives" is more than just our corporate purpose, it is a promise to the patients and providers that use our products.

Please feel free to contact me at any time to discuss this vitally important issue.

Sincerely,

Clateo Castellini
Chairman, President and CEO