Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Thousands of people safely and painlessly donate plasma every day. Plasma donation is performed in a highly controlled, sterile environment by professionally trained medical team members following strict safety guidelines for each donor's comfort and well-being. Grifols uses sterile, one-time-use materials that are disposed of immediately. 

Each donation yields approximately 625 to 800 milliliters of plasma. Federal regulations allow individuals to donate plasma as often as twice in seven days if the donations occur  two days apart from each other.

No. To protect our donors' health and minimize the risk of donating more often than permitted, donors aren’t allowed to donate at more than one center. All plasma donation centers communicate regularly to verify that donors are complying with this policy. 

Individuals who test positive for HIV, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C are immediately referred to a physician or clinic for formal medical diagnostic testing and treatment. They are also permanently deferred and excluded from donating plasma and are added to the National Donor Deferral Registry. These regulations are in place for everyone’s safety. 

It's recommended that you wait two-to-three days after donating plasma before donating whole blood. And after you've donated a unit of whole blood, the recommendation is to wait eight weeks (56 days) before donating plasma.

An applicant donor is a donor who has donated one time only. That donor's plasma is never used to produce any Grifols medicine and is destroyed if the donor does not return for a second donation. A qualified donor has donated twice with negative test results and has continued to donate with less than six months between donations.

People who are disqualified from donating plasma are known as deferred donors. A prospective donor may be deferred at any point. Whether a person is deferred temporarily or permanently depends on the specific reason for disqualification. A permanently deferred donor is forever disqualified from donating plasma. A temporarily deferred donor will not be able to donate until a specific amount of time has passed and/or another requirement has been met, such as seeing your personal healthcare provider. Then, the donor may visit a Grifols plasma donation center to be reassessed for eligibility to resume donating. All eligible donors must satisfy all donation criteria and requirements.

If your deferral is permanent, we will let you know. Otherwise, the deferral time depends upon the reason for deferral. Before each plasma donation, you'll be given a health screening and medical interview. That's when we'll be able to determine if you're eligible to donate on that particular day.

Plasma donors must weigh at least 110 lbs (50kg), be in generally good health, and be between 18 and 69 years old. 

Potential donors must undergo a thorough screening and selection process that begins with a medical exam. At every donation, donors must complete a comprehensive health history questionnaire to rule out individuals who engage in high-risk behaviors, have certain medical conditions or take medicines that may not be acceptable. Vital signs are checked at each donation, and blood samples are taken for screening tests to rule out transmissible diseases such as hepatitis and HIV and to check for proper liver function. Donors always come in contact with a minimum of four trained team members who assess their eligibility to donate. 

To be eligible to donate, you must have a valid photo ID, proof of residence and a Social Security number or Border Crossing Card.

There are many reasons you should donate plasma. Plasma is in high demand – and it cannot be created in a laboratory or synthetically produced. Knowing you've made a personal contribution toward improving the health of others is one of the most rewarding aspects of donating. Also, we know your time is valuable, so that's why we provide compensation for your efforts.