Our plasma collection process is centred around the safe and secure supply of blood plasma – ensuring donor safety and plasma quality.
BPL plasma is obtained from its own regulated and inspected collection centres in the USA, or from third party suppliers who meet the same rigorous quality standards. All collection centres which supply BPL with plasma are subject to continual BPL quality audits and inspections by national regulatory authorities.
Donor Safety
BPL’s Quality Management Framework applies as soon as a donor arrives at one of our collection centres. Initial checks with the donor confirm that their personal details and lifestyle comply with the acceptance criteria – the first step to secure donor safety and plasma quality.
Health-checks and physical examination by qualified health professionals on each occasion provide assurance that the donor is well enough for the plasma donation procedure, and that there has been no adverse change in health status if the donor has made donations previously.
Plasmapheresis
Plasma is collected by the process of plasmapheresis – where whole blood is drawn from a vein in the donor’s arm and passed through a sterile device which separates blood cells from the liquid plasma component. The plasma is collected into a sterile container and frozen, while the separated blood cells are infused back into the donor. This controlled procedure assures the wellbeing of the donor at all times.
Testing
Every donation collected at BPL Plasma centres is tested for markers of potential blood-borne pathogens. These include serological tests for viral markers in both individual donations, and again in pooled collections used for fractionation. BPL also tests mini-pools using nucleic acid tests (NAT). Any donation which tests positive for these pathogen markers is excluded from the manufacturing process. Using an industry-wide quality tracking system, any positive testing donation results in the donor being excluded from donating plasma at any collection centre in the country.