Sen. Jarett Coleman: Phase out toxic additives in IV bags

When Pennsylvanians enter a hospital, they should have full confidence that the care they receive will help them get better; not expose them to new risks. Patients put their trust in the nurses and doctors who treat them and, in the equipment, used to deliver that care. But for far too long, preventable and unnecessary risk has persisted in hospitals here in Pennsylvania and across the country.

Many of the IV bags and medical tubing used today still contain DEHP, a chemical that can leach into the fluids patients receive through an IV. That means people who are already sick, newborns in intensive care, patients fighting cancer, or those who rely on long‑term nutritional support, may be exposed to a chemical linked to cancer and other serious health problems at the very moment they are seeking care.

There is no good reason for this risk to continue. And that is why I joined Senator Lisa Boscola as co‑prime sponsor of Senate Bill 804, a simple, commonsense effort to remove a preventable danger from our healthcare system.

DEHP has been used for decades to make plastic more flexible. But we now know that it doesn’t stay in the plastic. It migrates into the fluids it touches, and those fluids go straight into a patient’s bloodstream. Research shows that this exposure can cause long‑term health effects, particularly for medically fragile patients. Some types of treatments, including certain chemotherapy drugs, can even cause more DEHP to leach out of the plastic equipment, increasing exposure at the worst possible time. Studies also show that DEHP may weaken the effectiveness of some cancer treatments. No patient undergoing chemotherapy should have to worry that the IV equipment delivering their medicine may also expose them to a chemical that could make that medicine less effective.

The good news is that safer alternatives already exist. Hospitals across the country, including right here in Pennsylvania, are already using DEHP‑free IV bags and tubing. These alternatives work just as well, are widely available, and do not expose patients to harmful chemicals. St. Luke’s University Health Network, for example, has already taken proactive steps to eliminate DEHP from their IV solution containers and supports statewide action to ensure every patient receives the same level of safety.

SB 804 builds on that progress and provides a responsible, phased timeline for the entire healthcare system to move toward safer materials. The bill removes DEHP from IV bags by 2030 and from medical tubing by 2035, following the same schedule recently adopted in California and North Carolina. This alignment gives manufacturers time to innovate and scale up production while ensuring that patients are not left waiting for safer materials that we already know work.

Just as importantly, the legislation prevents manufacturers from simply swapping in another harmful chemical by banning the use of similar toxic ortho‑phthalates. Scrapping DEHP only to replace it with another hazardous substance would be a step backward. This bill ensures real, meaningful progress.

The transition away from DEHP is not a burden. It’s a natural next step supported by major health networks, medical experts, and patient‑safety advocates. Many hospitals have already started this work. Our legislation ensures that all Pennsylvanians, regardless of where they receive care, benefit from the same level of protection. It creates consistency and clarity across the Commonwealth and gives healthcare providers and manufacturers the time they need to make the change smoothly.

This is not a partisan issue. It is a public health issue. The bipartisan support SB 804 received in the Pennsylvania Senate reflects a shared understanding that patient safety must come first. People receiving medical care should not be unknowingly exposed to chemicals linked to cancer while they are being treated for entirely unrelated conditions. At its core, this legislation is about making sure the tools used in hospitals help patients recover, not put them at further risk.

SB 804 is a practical, achievable reform that strengthens trust in our healthcare system. It reflects the best available science, aligns with the national movement toward safer medical devices, and puts Pennsylvanians’ health at the center of medical decision‑making. This policy ensures that the equipment delivering life‑saving treatment supports healing and does no harm.

As SB 804 moves to the House of Representatives, I am hopeful that it will receive the same broad support. With the Governor’s signature, we can take an important step forward in protecting patients and improving healthcare safety statewide.

Pennsylvania has an opportunity to lead by example, and most importantly, to protect the people who rely on our healthcare system every day. It is time to act.

Jarrett Coleman represents the 16th District in the Pennsylvania Senate which includes Lehigh and Bucks counties.