Nursing

Step away from that gift

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, April 14, 2006

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Dan is a hospital pharmacist. One day, Jay, a sales representative for a major pharmaceutical company, stops by Dan's office for a visit. Dan has known Jay as a professional acquaintance for a number of years, and he considers him a friend. Jay offers to take Dan out on an all expenses paid golfing trip for an upcoming weekend. "Since you're in the industry, I wouldn't let you pay for a thing," says Jay.

What do you do?

Most organizations now have strict policies against accepting gifts above a nominal value from vendors, contractors, or others. These policies protect the organization against exposure under the anti-kickback statute. In today's climate of heavy enforcement, hospitals don't want even the slightest appearance of improper behavior. Therefore, you should never accept a gift above nominal value from anyone with whom you have a business relationship. If you have doubts, check your organization's gift policy or consult your supervisor.

Editor's note: The above excerpt is from the online course, "Understanding Your Role in Corporate Compliance for General Health Care Staff." For more information on this and other courses in our library, go to www.hcprofessor.com.



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