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You’ve taken the first step to becoming a plasma donor by learning more. We’ll do everything possible to walk you through the process and make your first-time plasma donation comfortable, easy, and rewarding.
On this page: Where can I donate plasma,Can I donate plasma,What should I expect
You can donate at Octapharma Plasma donation centers in more than 24 states across the country. Visit our Donation Centers page to find one near you.
When you come to a plasma center for the first time, please bring a current, valid photo ID (like your driver’s license), proof of your Social Security number, and proof of your current address (for example, a letter or bill that came to you in the mail in the past 30 days or a current lease).
During your visit, we’ll do a health screening, review an in-depth medical questionnaire, and take blood samples* to make sure you can donate. In addition, you must:
If you have Rh-negative blood, we especially need your donations for our specialty antibody program. The staff at your nearest Octapharma Plasma donation center can tell you more about this program.
* Blood testing screens for hepatitis, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis.
In most cases, medicines you take will not prevent you from becoming a plasma donor. Your ability to donate also will be based on the reason the medicine was prescribed. Typically, as long as the condition is under control and you’re healthy, you can donate plasma. If you’re taking medicines like aspirin, Accutane, Coumadin, and Plavix, you may have to wait a short time before you can donate. Others, like herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, oral birth control pills, and some kinds of vaccines for flu, Tdap, and HPV, don’t require you to wait before you donate.
Check with your local Octapharma Plasma donation center for more information about how your medicines and vaccinations might affect your ability to donate plasma.
Specific medical conditions may or may not affect your ability to donate plasma. For example, high or low blood pressure is okay within certain limits; so is diabetes if it’s well controlled. Check with your local Octapharma Plasma donation center for more information about how your medical condition might affect your ability to donate plasma.
Your first visit can take up to 2 hours because it includes a health screening and tests to make sure you can donate plasma. After that, each visit takes less time – about an hour to an hour and a half.
Friendly, professional staff in Octapharma Plasma's donation centers make first-time blood plasma donations comfortable, easy, safe, and rewarding.
Safe and easy blood plasma donations make it possible for plasma donors to help others and give back while making a little extra money.
A staff member will greet you and ask for a current, valid photo ID, proof of your Social Security number, and proof of your current address (for example, a letter or bill that came to you in the mail in the past 30 days or a current lease).
You’ll spend a few minutes watching an educational video about the plasma donation process.
We’ll take your medical history, review an in-depth health questionnaire, talk about what confidential informed consent means, explain the plasma donation process, run blood tests, and answer your questions.
You’ll go to a special area and begin the donation process. A trained staff member called a phlebotomist will put a sterile needle in a vein in your arm to draw your blood. Most people compare the feeling to a prick or a pinch like you would feel when donating blood.
Next, you’ll relax while your blood cycles through special, sterile equipment that separates plasma from the other parts of your blood. To pass the time, you can use our free Wi-Fi on your smartphone or tablet or watch our TVs. You can also bring books, magazines, and music (with headphones, of course).
A staff member will check on you during the process to make sure you’re comfortable and answer your questions.
After your first plasma donation is complete, you’ll receive your payment on an Octapharma Plasma Prepaid debit card. The card is reloaded after every successful plasma donation you make.
Your second plasma donation is very important!
The first time you donate plasma, we test your donation sample to make sure it’s safe to use in life-saving medicines. We can’t use your first plasma donation until after you make your second one, so don’t forget to come back to donate again 2 to 14 days after your first visit.
You can donate as frequently as 2 times in 7 days, with at least 2 days between donations. So if you donate on a Monday, you can donate again Wednesday.
For tips on what to do to get your body ready to donate plasma again, visit our Health & Nutrition page.
