**Exhibit 31.1**

 

**Certification of Chief Executive OfficerRequired by Rule 13a-14(a) (17 CFR 240.13a-14(a))**

 

I, Christopher B. Begley, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Qof Hospira, Inc. (“Hospira”);

 

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not containany untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material factnecessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances underwhich such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period coveredby this report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements,and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in allmaterial respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flowsof Hospira as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4. Hospira’s other certifying officer and I areresponsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures(as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) andinternal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and15d-15(f)) for Hospira and have:

 

(a)  Designed suchdisclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls andprocedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that materialinformation relating to Hospira, including its consolidated subsidiaries, ismade known to us by others within those entities, particularly during theperiod in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b) Designed suchinternal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control overfinancial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonableassurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparationof financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generallyaccepted accounting principles;

 

(c) Evaluated theeffectiveness of Hospira’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented inthis report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controlsand procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based onsuch evaluation; and

 

(d) Disclosed inthis report any change in Hospira’s internal control over financial reportingthat occurred during Hospira’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materiallyaffected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Hospira’s internalcontrol over financial reporting; and

 

5. Hospira’s other certifying officer and I havedisclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control overfinancial reporting, to Hospira’s auditors and the audit committee of Hospira’sboard of directors:

 

(a) All significantdeficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internalcontrol over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affectHospira’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financialinformation; and

 

(b) Any fraud,whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have asignificant role in Hospira’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 
| /s/  CHRISTOPHER  B. BEGLEY |   |
|---------------------------------------|--------|
|                                  |
| Christopher  B. Begley,               |
| Chairman  and Chief Executive Officer |
|                                  |
| Date:  November 5, 2008          |

 

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