How to Find a Local Plasma Donation Center

Plasma donation is a great way to help the community while being compensated for your time. Blood is made up of two parts: the liquid part called plasma and the cells. When you donate plasma, some of your blood is collected, the plasma is removed and the cells are put back into your bloodstream. Plasma is used in medical research and the production of life saving treatments. Many medical companies rely on donors to supply the plasma that they need. Not all plasma donation centers will pay money for your donation, but many will. Here are some resources to help you find a local plasma donation center.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. The first place to check is http://www.donatingplasma.org/. This website is funded by the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA), the organization that oversees the plasma donation and research industry. This website lets you search by zip code and will show you any centers within various distances from that zip code. All of the centers listed are certified by the PPTA, meaning they comply with certain safety standards. This website is also a great resource for people who have questions about plasma donation.

2. The Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association also allows you to search for a plasma donation center by zip code on their website http://www.pptaglobal.org. You can also find links to the websites of the companies that belong to the PPTA so that you can check out who you will be donating your plasma to.

3. You can also try http://bloodbanker.com/plasma/. This is a directory of blood and plasma donation centers that is searchable by zip code. The zip code search only looks for centers that are within the zip code you typed in, not in any surrounding areas and does not say whether the center accepts plasma or only whole blood donations. This site also lists plasma donation centers within certain areas so check this list to see if your area is included. This list is not comprehensive so if your area is not listed, it does not mean that there are no centers near you. The best thing about this website is that it has reviews and ratings of the centers by people who have actually used them. If you find a center at a different site, use the zip code to search for it on bloodbanker.com and see if anyone has written a review about it.

4. If you have tried the directories listed above but still haven’t found a plasma donation center near you, don’t give up yet. Not all locations are listed in the directories and new ones are added fairly often as the companies expand. Many companies have a list of their donation centers on their website. Some of the companies that accept plasma donations are:
   
   Biomat USA: http://biomatusa.grifols.com/
   PlasmaCare: http://www.plasmacare.com
   BioLife : http://www.biolifeplasma.com
   DCI Biologicals, Inc: http://www.dciplasma.com
   ZLB Plasma: http://www.zlbplasma.com
   International BioResources: http://www.internationalbioresources.com
   Biotest: http://www.biotestpharma.com
   Bio-Medics: http://www.joinbiomedics.com/
   Advanced BioServices, LLC: http://www.advancedbioservices.com/

5. The PPTA website also has a list of companies, and their websites, that are members of the organization. Keep in mind that the PPTA also accepts memberships from companies who use plasma in their research, so not all the companies that are listed will accept donations. You can check out each of the websites to see who accepts plasma donations and where the centers are located.

6. Your local hospital or health department might also have information about plasma donation centers close to you. Many red cross locations also accept plasma, but they don't pay you for it.

7. Once you have a found a plasma donation center, call them to find out how much they will pay, what their hours are and whether or not you qualify. The basic requirements for plasma donation are that you be at least 18 years old, 110 pound, a US citizen and not have certain health conditions. Some centers won’t allow you to donate if you have any infectious diseases or autoimmune disorders, while others will pay you more if you have some of these conditions. Call the center or check out their website to find specific information about who qualifies.

8. The pay varies from center to center and often depends on your weight and the number of times you have donated. Many centers will pay more for your first visit because it will be longer than subsequent visits. When you call your local plasma donation center to make your first appointment, make sure you ask them if they pay based on your weight and what the pay for future visits will be.

Tips & Warnings

• Plasma donation is still considered a donation because you are being compensated for your time, not the plasma.

Resources

• Donating Plasma.org
• Blood Banker
• PPTA Website
• More articles by Analana

[gormanwvzb]

on 3/7/2009 Very interesting. I had never considered this. My father is a big platelet donor. Those donors are always in need.

[Kallicat]

on 3/4/2009 Very interesting. I imagine for centers that pay, their donations will increase during this difficult economic time.

[eliptica]

on 2/26/2009 I usually do this all of the time. Thanks for the article.