Project outcomes have wide applications across many health professions.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has been used in health care products for more than forty years. Presented originally on the basis of convenience for field and trauma medicine in the military context, the new plastic slowly displaced rubber and glass in intravenous fluid administration systems and later enabled low‐cost production of many new medical products. It was a strong factor in the evolution of hospital disposables. Such substances, long accepted as “low toxicity PVC generiecs” or “medical PVCs” are now being challenged by new classes of materials specifically designed for clinical use. The narrow range of properties offered by traditional PVC technology can no longer fulfill all needs. The choice of new plastics is rationalized on the basis of specific physico‐chemical, mechanical, toxicological, aesthetic, or economic consideration. This presentation addresses the limitations of a plastics technology based on empirical multicomponent formulations as opposed to one based on polymer engineering for critical bilogical, laboratory, and medical applications. Material stability in biological environments, the role of additives, the toxicology of leachables, the biocompatibility of generic medical PVCs, as well as the reasons for its success in health care are discussed. Criteria of suitability for plastics in medicine, the commercial prospects for new PVC blends and copolymers for health care, and the role of national regulatory agencies in decisions that affect the choice of materials for health care, food, and beverages are also discussed.