PVC Organisations Collaborate to Promote the Value of PVC Use in Healthcare
A new European association, the PVCMed Alliance, has been launched to promote the use and value of PVC in healthcare applications. PVCMed is an alliance of the PVC medical industry chain represented by PVC resin and plasticiser producers and PVC converters. The alliance’s aim is to provide a focal point for communication with healthcare professionals and regulators about PVC-based healthcare applications, and their fundamental role in quality of healthcare, safety and cost-efficiency, all whilst being environmentally responsible. Through an interactive platform, the Alliance seeks to consolidate a strong dialogue with all involved stakeholders to continue improving healthcare delivery together.
“The PVCMed Alliance will actively communicate about PVC and its additives, its properties and its essential contribution to quality care delivery for healthcare professionals. It will also promote innovative and environmentally friendly practices in PVC healthcare applications”, explains PVCMed Alliance spokesperson Brigitte Dero. The quality and safety of PVC-based healthcare applications guarantee efficient and widely affordable healthcare systems to continuously improve and save patients’ lives.
Since the 1960s, PVC is commonly used in medical devices for screening, diagnosis, treatment and care, as well as in building safe healthcare environments. Nearly 30% of all plastic-based medical devices are made of PVC. The two main application areas for medically approved PVC compounds are flexible containers and tubing. By adding plasticisers, PVC can be made soft and flexible, providing high levels of safety and comfort. Its use in both single and multiple-use devices has proved instrumental in reducing the risk of life-threatening and healthcare acquired infections. PVC's versatile properties mean that it is also widely used for a broad range of other applications in hygienic healthcare settings, such as floors and decorative wall protections as well as many others that ensure high performance and safety at affordable costs.
The PVCMed Alliance has an informative website, www.pvcmed.org. Commenting on the website, Ole Grøndahl Hansen, project manager of the PVCMed Alliance and past contributor to Medical Plastics News, said: “We are delighted to launch the website today as it will raise awareness of PVC and plasticiser use by providing trusted scientifically based information on a wide range of issues to healthcare professionals and regulators. Our interactive website and blog will also enable us to strengthen dialogue with all the relevant stakeholders in order to join forces and find effective solutions to continue improving healthcare in the near and long-term future. The PVCMed Alliance will for instance seek partnerships with public and health authorities to find recycling solutions to the PVC medical waste fractions that could actually be recycled."
Members of the PVCMed Alliance to date include BASF, Colorite Europe, Eastman, the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM), OXEA, Renolit and Tarkett.