Perrigo chooses not to participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) selection process. Consequently, store brand infant formulas are not available to parents through the WIC program.
WIC is a supplemental program; it is not intended to provide for 100% of an infant’s needs3. In Texas, for example, the maximum amount of formula provided in the first three months of life is nine containers of 12.4 oz powder, or approximately 112 ounces of powder. Each container provides approximately 90 ounces (2700 mL of formula), or enough for close to three days. Considering unavoidable small amounts of wastage, this is approximately 80% of a typical infant’s needs3. Thus, most families receiving WIC must obtain some infant formula beyond what is provided by WIC if their infant is fully formula-fed.
According to a study in Clinical Pediatrics4, two-thirds of families in the WIC program run out of WIC-supplied baby formula toward the end of most months. Among these families, 27 percent reported “formula-stretching”—watering down infant formula or reducing feedings—which can have serious health and developmental consequences for babies.
Store brand infant formulas typically cost up to 50% percent less than nationally advertised brands2. When your patients run out of WIC formula each month, you can confidently recommend store brand formula; they can purchase at a lower price until they receive the next month’s vouchers.
In the United States, each state solicits bids from infant formula manufacturers for the WIC contract. In some cases, the products are the older generations of name brand products. Current analysis reveals that the manufacturer with the winning bid typically sells formula to the government near or just below the cost to manufacture the formula, sold at leading retail stores at prices customers can afford. It is cost-prohibitive for Perrigo to bid on WIC contracts; the savings consumers already enjoy would no longer be as substantial.
Instead, Perrigo innovates and provides top quality nutrition to parents at affordable prices.