Are All Plasma Donation Centers the Same?

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Are All Plasma Donation Centers the Same?

The process of plasma donation only takes around 1.5 hours (and 2 hours the first time). It’s a quick, easy, and virtually painless way to donate plasma for money. More than that, plasma donation is a way you can support fellow people who desperately need human-based therapies to live normal lives. You could be saving lives with your plasma donation.

But we understand that the plasma donation experience isn’t always straightforward, and it can take a lot of courage to start the process and donate plasma for the first time. Here are some vital facts to know about plasma donation centers.

How to Find a Good Plasma Donation Center

There are hundreds of plasma donation centers in the United States. Make sure you choose a good, reputable one.

Donors must be identified using an accepted form of ID such as a driver’s license.
Donor centers just perform certain checks and medical screenings to determine a donor’s eligibility to donate plasma. Check our article What Excludes You From Donating Any Plasma? And see the complete FDA donor eligibility requirements.
Donor centers must cross-check every applicant against the national cross-donation check system (CDCS) before each donation to determine whether they are safe to donate and check haven’t visited other donor centers outside of the legal donation timeframe or that they haven’t been flagged as ineligible by another center.

Take a look at our guides and resources on plasma donation to ensure you get the most out of the experience.

Can you donate to two plasma centers simultaneously?

Because of the restrictions on how frequently you can donate plasma, some individuals consider circumventing the protocols by visiting more than one plasma collection center in order to make more donations (and earn more money).

While we do not recommend this for obvious reasons, it is also not possible. The FDA has placed restrictions on the frequency of donations (twice in a seven-day period with at least 24 hours in between) to ensure that donors’ health and safety are preserved and that they give their bodies enough time to replenish lost plasma. Donating too frequently can be dangerous and result in lower-quality plasma with fewer antibodies and nutrients.

The Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association’s cross-donation check system (CDCS) has mitigated the risk of cross-donation. The CDCS is a database into which all donors are input whenever they visit any plasma donation center anywhere in the US. When you enter a plasma donation center next and provide your details and identification, this is cross-checked with the CDCS to determine when you last donated and if any pre-recorded health and safety concerns have been previously recorded.

Do all plasma donation centers pay?

In the US, it’s illegal to pay donors of whole blood. Whole blood that is paid for is labeled as such, and medical facilities are disinclined to use it because of the stigma that comes with labeled, paid-for whole blood. Healthcare organizations do not always consider paid-for whole blood ethical (even though it is donated by consenting, healthy adults who accept payment for their donations).

Whilst we don’t agree that paid-for blood or plasma is unethical as it makes it more likely patients can get the treatments they need, this stigma still exists. Thankfully, paid-for plasma is never labeled as such, so healthcare facilities are much more likely to buy it. Plasma is not labeled because it never goes directly to a patient in the way whole blood does. It’s usually broken down into treatment components and pharmaceuticals, a process highly likely to kill any viruses that theoretically could ever be present.

Because of this, private plasma donation companies offer payment to incentivize people to donate. We believe that payment for plasma donations is fair and completely justified. We want our donors to know how much we value and appreciate their donations. We wish to encourage as many eligible people as possible to donate so we can continue to help patients with life-saving therapies.

Many donation centers provide pre-loaded cards like Olgam Life which can be used to withdraw the funds we pay for your donation. Other donation centers will work via a points system where points can be exchanged for gift cards or used in certain stores.

What to Expect at an Olgam Life Donation Center

Here at Olgam Life, our mission puts our donors at the forefront. This is what we think separates good and bad donation centers. We care about the wellbeing and comfort of our donors above all else because we know they’re the all-important cog that helps our well-oiled machine work. Without our donors, we wouldn’t be able to help patients in life-or-death situations like we do.

The donation experience should be positive and comfortable. We take great care to ensure each of our donors is fit and healthy enough for us to collect their plasma. Once you’re through all of our checks, a technician will ensure you’re completely comfortable and relaxed before hooking you up to one of our state-of-the-art machines to collect your plasma.

Our staff are highly attentive because we make sure they’re satisfied in their careers with clear progression and having their needs met. Our goal is to build strong communities around our donation centers, including a reliable and dependable workforce. Check for vacancies at Olgam Life.

Our FAQs on plasma donation might answer some more of your questions. If you don’t find what you’re looking for here, give us a call, and a member of our team will answer your questions and put you at ease before making the decision to donate or find one of our plasma centers near you.