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EXHIBIT 99
To: US Hospitals and Alternate Site Care Facilities Using BD Brand Products
Dear Customer,
We wish to provide you with important information regarding the usage of needle-
based medical devices and other medical "sharps" in your facility. Please read
on for details about a new federal law and BD's plan to help customers complete
the transition to safety-engineered sharps devices (where there is no compromise
to medical practice or patient care), while also scaling back its production of
conventional devices accordingly.
Impact of Federal Law. On November 6, 2000, President Clinton signed the
Federal Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act into law. This new law stipulates
that when safety-engineered sharps devices are available with built-in safety
features that help reduce the risk of occupational exposure to patients' bodily
fluids, healthcare facilities must evaluate and implement the use of these
devices, unless there is a potential compromise to patient care. As a result of
this law, we anticipate a substantial increase in customer demand for safety-
engineered devices.
BD recognizes that medical professionals and healthcare facilities decide what
types of medical devices are appropriate for various medical procedures and
patient care situations. However, the language and intent of the new federal
law now require healthcare facilities in the US to evaluate and use safety-
engineered devices wherever feasible. In preparation for the anticipated
compliance date of the federal legislation (August 2001), we plan to work
closely with our customers to assist them in meeting the new requirements.
Among the steps required for compliance is completion of an Exposure Control
Plan. This plan must now specifically include evaluation of safety-engineered
sharps devices with participation of non-managerial direct healthcare workers,
and implementation of the most effective safety-engineered devices when they are
commercially available and do not interfere with patient safety or the success
of a medical procedure. Based on the very broad range of needle-based medical
devices used in healthcare settings and the complexity of medical procedures
utilizing these devices, hospitals and other healthcare facilities will need to
develop their own policies and protocols governing the selection and appropriate
use of these devices. BD is prepared to assist with any or all of these
compliance-related activities, including inservice training for your employees
on use of safety-engineered sharps devices.
BD's Transition Plan. Consistent with our customers' compliance requirements
and timing, BD will continue expanding the supply of safety-engineered devices
while scaling back production of conventional sharps devices accordingly. BD
will focus initially on the highest volume application areas where the potential
user benefits are greatest. These include infusion therapy (IV catheters),
blood collection (needles and winged sets), and injection (syringes and
needles). As described below, our steps will vary based on the medical
procedures performed with these devices. BD also plans similar measures for
other, lower volume sharps product categories.
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For IV catheters, BD will continue assisting our customers in the already-rapid
transition from conventional to safety-engineered designs. There is currently
an ample supply of safety-engineered IV catheters available from BD and other
manufacturers. In preparation for the compliance date and anticipated increases
in customer demand, we are working to ensure that a sufficient supply of safety-
engineered catheters is available for all BD IV catheter users, and production
of conventional catheters will be scaled back accordingly.
For needles and winged needle sets used to collect blood, BD will pursue the
same steps as noted above for IV catheters, assisting customers in their
transition to safety-engineered designs, and scaling back production of
conventional devices accordingly. We will also continue to sell conventional
blood collection needles, because some hospitals utilize these needles in
conjunction with safety needle holders. As with IV catheters, there is an ample
supply of safety-engineered needles and winged sets for blood collection
available from BD and other manufacturers, and we do not anticipate any
restrictions in supplying all our customers with safety-engineered designs by
the compliance date.
For syringes and needles, BD recognizes that the majority (approximately 70%) of
applications for these devices in hospitals do not involve direct percutaneous
injection and therefore do not require a sharp needle. Conventional syringes
used without needles (or used with blunt plastic cannulas for IV administration)
are not sharps devices and pose no risk of needlestick injury. Conventional
syringes and needles used in non-patient applications (such as medication
preparation in the hospital pharmacy) pose no risk of bodily fluid exposure.
Conventional syringes and needles will continue to be available for these and
other medically necessary applications. A broad range of safety-engineered
syringes and needles are available from BD and other manufacturers for
procedures requiring direct percutaneous injection. Manufacturing capacity
throughout the industry is currently not sufficient to supply all US hospitals
with these devices, but is being scaled up rapidly.
BD's Commitment to Sharps Safety. Over the past 12 years BD invested over $500
million to develop the industry's broadest array of highly effective safety-
engineered devices, across the full range of sharps product categories. We also
funded the development of national safety training programs in conjunction with
professional associations, and we provided unrestricted grants for the
development of surveillance systems that enable hospitals to accurately report
and track their sharps injury rates.
These efforts are part of a continuous commitment by BD to help you provide a
safer work environment for your employees. BD is ready to assist your
organization to understand and comply with the recently enacted legislation, and
to complete the transition from conventional to safety-engineered sharps devices
wherever feasible. Please distribute this communication in your facility.
