Make money now! Donate Plasma.

Here is a quick easy way to make some extra money and possibly save someones life. If you are healthy you can make up to $60 a week and in some States even more. Plasma often is referred to as the "gift of life" because it is the essential starting material needed to manufacture therapies that help thousands of people worldwide with rare, chronice diseases to live healthier, productive and fulfilling lives.

In order to manufacture these vital therapies, and ensure that there is an adequate supply of plasma protein therapies to treat patients in need, plasma donors donate plasma in one of more than 330 licensed and certified plasma collection centers located in the U.S. or more than 25 centers abroad. Like donating blood, there are eligibility criteria for giving plasma and the donation process has some similarities.


Plasma is the clear, straw-colored liquid portion of the blood that remains after the removal of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and other cellular components. It is the single largest component of human blood, comprising about 55 percent, and contains water, salts, enzymes, antibodies and other proteins.


Human plasma is the source of proteins and antibodies including albumin, clotting factors, immunoglobulins and fibrinogen, which are used to make therapies that treat life-threatening rare, chronic, and often genetic diseases such as hemophilia, primary immunodeficiencies, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and neurological and autoimmune disorders.

Plasma protein therapies also are used to treat medical conditions such as shock, trauma and burns. Therefore, plasma is the essential starting material for a wide range of life-saving medicines that cannot be manufactured without it.

Here are some intersting facts about plasma donations.

• It takes 130 plasma donations to manufacture enough therapy to keep one patient with primary immunodeficiency healthy for one year.

• One liter of plasma yields roughly four grams of immunoglobulin, which is used to manufacture therapies to treat people with immune deficiencies. The average infusion needed for a person with a primary immune deficiency is 35 grams.

• Albumin, one of the proteins found in plasma, is used to treat patients who have sustained severe burns, trauma, or during major surgery.

• Serum albumin and fibrin, two proteins found in plasma, have powerful anti-shock and blood clotting effects, and are credited with saving countless lives of soldiers wounded on the battlefield during World War II (WWII). They continue to help wounded soldiers fighting in the war in Iraq today.

• On average, a plasma donor gives .8 liter of plasma per visit.

• The largest expense to manufacture plasma protein therapies are direct manufacturing costs (which includes obtaining staring material) – roughly 70 percent of the total cost of the therapy.

• Plasma-derived therapies and therapies made using recombinant DNA technology are referred to collectively as plasma protein therapies.

• Plasma protein therapies are used to treat people with diseases like hemophilia, which affects approximately 16,500 people in the U.S.


• Annually in the U.S., approximately 15 million plasma donations are made in order to meet demand for plasma-derived therapies that treat patients with rare, genetic diseases.


• Each year in the U.S., roughly 11 million liters of source plasma are donated.

• 20 million liters of plasma are used worldwide every year to manufacture plasma protein therapies for patients with blood clotting disorders, immune deficiencies or autoimmune or neurological disorders.


Donor Health

It’s important that donors follow a diet that meets the recommended daily requirements for protein, typically between 50 to 80 grams daily for an adult.. Proteins include foods such as cheese, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and beans. A donor's protein level will be tested each time he or she presents to donate, and if the results are out of the acceptable range, the donor will not be permitted to donate plasma that day.

Donors should also eat foods rich in iron such as tuna, eggs, nuts, beans and lean red meat to help ensure that iron levels are sufficient to donate.

Each time a donor presents to donate plasma, the hematocrit level is tested. Hematocrit is the percentage of blood occupied by red blood cells. Donor should always remember to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water or juice the day prior to and the day of donation, avoid alcohol and caffeine and get plenty of sleep.

In some cases if you take to many prescription medicines you won't be able to donate plasma at all. Check with the plasma donation center you plan on attending and see if they can tell you how many prescriptions you can take and still donate plasma. In my state it is no more than four presciptions, even if you don't take them everyday, if they are prescribed by the doctor, then they count them.


Before donating, inform center personnel if you’ve:

• Recently had major surgery

• Obtained a tattoo, touch-up or piercing within the last 12 months

• Are taking any medication or are under a doctor’s care for any medical condition. If you are taking medications it is a good idea to check with your doctor before you try to donate plasma and see if he thinks it is ok for you to donate.

Who can donate?

Generally, plasma donors should be at least 18 years of age and weigh at least 110 pounds (50 kg). All individuals who donate plasma must pass two, separately administered medical examinations, a medical history screening, and testing for transmissible viruses, before their donated plasma can be used to manufacture plasma protein therapies. The age requirement may differ in some U.S. states and other nations, therefore it is important to check your state eligibility requirements for plasma donation.

The U.S. requires that all plasma donors submit to a pre-donation physical, including medical history questions, tests for transmissible viruses, total plasma protein levels and hematocrit/hemoglobin levels. The plasma protein therapeutics industry’s International Quality Plasma Program (IQPP) certification requires additional donor screening, donor education on rick behavior and residency requirements. How long does it take?

To ensure that the donor meets the medical health screening and testing requirements, the first visit takes on average two to three hours. Subsequent visits, which are required (at least one) if the first donation is to be used to produce therapies, take about one and a half hours.

How often can I donate?

The human body typically replaces plasma within approximately 48 hours, if the donor keeps a healthy diet that includes adequate amount of fluids and proteins. In the United States, federal regulations state that an individual may donate two times in a seven day period, with a minimum of two days in between donations.


How is my plasma removed?

Donating plasma is similar to giving blood. A needle is placed in the vein of the arm and the whole blood is collected into a sterile, highly-specialized medical device. The plasma then is separated from the red blood cells and other cellular components, which are then returned to the donor, normally with sterile saline solution to help the body replace the plasma removed from the whole blood. This process is referred to as plasmapheresis.

What is the average donation?

In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates how much plasma a person can donate. Donation may be made no more frequently than twice per week with no more frequently than twice per week with two days in between, and the amount a person can donate is predicated on weight:


110 – 149 lbs (50 to 80 kg) up to 625 mL (625 mL of plasma) (10% anticoagulant)150 –174 lbs (70 to 80 kg) up to 750 mL (750 mL of plasma)
175 lbs. and up (over 80 kg) up to 880 mL (800 mL of plasma)

Donor CompensationDonating plasma takes time and is a commitment. To guarantee a safe and adequate supply of plasma, the industry developed a system of donor compensation that recognizes the substantial commitment of personal time and effort required from donors. If the industry did not compensate donors, manufacturers would not be able to obtain the amount of plasma needed to produce the life-saving therapies relied upon by patients worldwide; therefore, it is a matter of necessity that plasma donors are compensated. Each plasma collection facility sets its own compensation structure.

You can make up to $35 or more a visit and you can donate two times a week.

Check with the Yellow Pages or a nearby college campus for the closest plasma collection center, blood bank or blood collection facility. There are more than 400 for-profit plasma collection centers in the United States.

You can do a search in your favorite search engine for a facility closest to your city. Use the following formula in your search engine: donate plasma, then enter your city and state. You should get results that show the nearest facility in your state and the closest one to your city.

Make sure to call the facility and ask them any questions you can think of before you go for your first visit. This will save you from not being able to donate because you forgot some piece of information you were supposed to bring with you.

Tips and Warnings:

• Every unit of plasma collected is tested for the presence of hepatitis, HIV, antibodies and antigens. The amount of plasma you can donate is based on your weight.

• It's easy to sell your plasma often, but you risk scarring your veins and depleting your iron levels if you donate too frequently.

• If you take prescription drugs or have certain medical conditions you will be required to get a release from your doctor before you will be able to donate plasma.

Health and Nutrition Tips

If you have special nutrition needs, you may wish to consult with your doctor prior to and/or during donating plasma.

• Select a diet that fulfills the recommended daily requirements for protein. On average, under normal circumstances, your body requires 50 - 80 grams of protein daily. Proteins can be obtained from foods like eggs, cheese, meat, poultry, fish, nuts and beans. Your protein level will be tested at each visit, and if test results are outside the acceptable range, you will not be able to donate plasma.

• Every time you donate plasma, a test of your hematocrit, the percentage of blood volume occupied by red blood cells, will be performed to determine if it is adequate for plasma donation. Some individuals may have a low hematocrit, commonly attributed to a low iron level in the body. This prevents donation. Eating foods high in iron, such as tuna, lean red meat, eggs, nuts, beans or taking iron supplements will help bring your iron level to the acceptable range for plasma donation.

Things to do before and after you donate plasma:

• Avoid side effects like lightheadedness when donating plasma by drinking plenty of fluids, water is the best. Being well-hydrated helps “pump up” your veins, and may shorten the time it takes to complete your donation. Drink plenty of water or juice the night before and day of your donation.

• Make sure to eat a healthy (but not necessarily large) meal no more than three hours before your plasma donation. Eating foods high in proteins such as lean meat or complex carbohydrates such as bread, cereal, fruits, etc.

• Eating fatty foods such as hamburgers, fried foods, cheese, ice cream, cakes, etc., prior to plasma donation can give your plasma a milky appearance. This color change may interfere with the performance of laboratory tests. Therefore, if your plasma has this color appearance, you will not be able to donate plasma that day.

• Caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, soda) and alcohol can cause dehydration during or after the plasma donation. Avoid consuming caffeine at least 6 hours prior to your donation. Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages the night before and the day of your donation, and at least four hours after your donation.

• The temperature of the fluids is critical as well. Drinking very warm or very cold beverages immediately prior to donation may lead to an inaccurate body temperature reading, as well as temporary deferral from plasma donation. Instead, drink a room temperature glass of water or juice to keep your fluid level up.

• Be well rested prior to your plasma donation. Sleep experts recommend an average of 7-9 hours of sleep per night in order to function effectively and improve your overall quality of life.

• If you come to donate when you do not feel well, you will probably not be eligible to donate that day. If you have made an appointment with your plasma donation center make sure to call and cancel or reschedule your appointment.

• Avoid smoking for at least 30 minutes after the completion of your donation. Smoking immediately after your donation may increase your risk of becoming dizzy or fainting.

• Donating plasma is a low risk procedure with minimal or no side effects, however if you feel faint or dizzy after your donation, either lie down (with your feet elevated above the heart/head level, if possible) or sit with your head between your knees.

• If any adverse symptoms occur or persist, we encourage you to either contact a member of the plasma donation center you attended or your doctor as soon as possible.