janvier 4, 2021

The debate around paid plasma donations is a long-standing one that people on both sides of the argument feel very strongly about. Despite the fact that remunerating donors has been proven to be the only way to ensure a secure supply of plasma, there is still uncertainty about the safety and morality of this practice. With plasma products manufactured from convalescent plasma now being trialled to treat COVID-19, it’s never been more important to prevent supply shortages from happening.

Here are three reasons why paid plasma donations should be made legal across Canada.  

1. The Growing Demand for Plasma Donations

Blood plasma, the protein-rich yellow liquid component of blood, has long been used to manufacture a wide range of life-saving therapies. The number of illnesses that can be treated using blood plasma is only increasing and the demand for blood plasma is growing at a rate of 6-10% per year globally. This does not include the demand that has come about as researchers have begun to explore the possibility of convalescent plasma being a viable treatment for COVID-19.

We cannot rely on voluntary, non-remunerated plasma donations alone to meet this growing demand.  The only way to provide immunocompromised patients with the plasma-derived products they rely on is to pay plasma donors.

2. Ensuring A Secure and Sufficient Supply of Plasma

In Canada, we currently import 80% of the plasma therapies we create from the plasma of American donors. In fact, the United States, a nation that permits paid plasma donations,  is responsible for 70% of the global plasma supply. When grouped with other countries that allow plasma donors to be compensated, including Austria, Czechia, Germany, and Hungary, 90% of the total supply of plasma can be accounted for. Clearly, paid plasma donations work.

If we allowed plasma donors to be remunerated across Canada and repealed the Voluntary Blood Donations Act in provinces where it has been enacted, we wouldn’t have to rely so heavily on the plasma of paid American donors. We’ve all witnessed the supply chain issues that have come about as a result of COVID-19, and these same interruptions could happen to the global supply of plasma at any time. This scenario would spell out a matter of life or death for patients who rely on plasma-derived products.

As it stands now, the majority of Canadian plasma donors are not compensated.

3. Paid Plasma Donations Are Both Safe and Ethical

Time and time again, paid plasma donations have been proven to be just as safe as unpaid donations. Health Canada has laid out strict regulatory requirements that plasma collectors must abide by and they oversee the safe collection of plasma. All donors are required to undergo rigorous screenings to ensure tainted blood supplies never make their way to patients who are receiving these life-saving therapies.   

Paid plasma donations are also ethical, as they incentivize rather than coerce donors to give plasma. By paying plasma donors, you increase the range of options available to them. A mutually beneficial situation in which donors are paid for their time and effort and patients are able to receive the treatments they rely on is also created when donors are compensated.

As of late, there has been some good news on the paid plasma donation front in Canada. The Alberta legislature has officially repealed the Voluntary Blood Donations Act, which means Albertans can now receive remuneration for their plasma donations! As long time proponents of this practice, we’re thrilled to see some progress being made. 

If you’d like to help create life-saving therapies for immunocompromised patients and get compensated for your contribution, book an appointment at a Canadian Plasma Resources centre near you! 

janvier 4, 2021

Paid plasma donations are largely responsible for the creation of plasma therapies. In fact, compensated plasma accounts for 89% of all the world’s plasma that is used to manufacture plasma-derived products. It’s statistics like these that motivate us to continue to pave the way for paid plasma donations in Canada.

If you’re interested in learning how you can earn up to $4,680/year as a plasma donor at Canadian Plasma Resources, keep reading to find out!

Donate Plasma Consistently

With our donor compensation program, donors get rewarded with more compensation the more they donate! All donors who give plasma at Canadian Plasma Resources start at Orange level. At this level, donors earn $30 for their first donation of the week and $50 for their second donation of the week.

Donors who have given plasma twice per week for two consecutive weeks move on to Silver level. Silver level donors are eligible to receive $30 for their first donation of the week and $55 for their second donation of the week.

The highest level donors can reach is Gold level. Donors attain this status after they’ve given plasma twice per week for two more consecutive weeks (following the initial two consecutive weeks). These two weeks of consecutive donations do not need to occur back to back. Gold level donors are eligible to receive $30 for their first donation of the week and $60 for their second donation of the week!

Refer a Friend

Another great way to earn additional compensation is by referring a friend or family member to donate plasma! Donors who refer a friend or family member to donate plasma are eligible to receive a $25 bonus so long as the referee follows through on the donation. Here’s how the donor referral process works:

1. Send a text message, WhatsApp message, Facebook message, Instagram DM or Twitter DM to the person you’re referring.

2. Include your full name in the message

3. Have the referee show the message to our reception staff after they donate.

We’re also offering referees the opportunity to earn a one time $50 bonus if they start donating by November 29^th!

Participate in Events

At Canadian Plasma Resources, we regularly hold events that give donors the opportunity to earn a monetary bonus if they meet certain donation criteria. To make sure you don’t miss out on opportunities to earn additional compensation, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and keep an eye out for our announcements!

We’ve seen firsthand just how beneficial paying plasma donors can be for both donors and patients alike. To contribute to a good cause and make money all the while, book your next plasma donation appointment!

juillet 24, 2020

Compensating donors is a practice we’ve been long-time proponents of at Canadian Plasma Resources. Not only do paid plasma donations help us show our appreciation for the time and effort our donors put into helping others; they have also been proven time and time again to be the only way to ensure a secure supply of plasma.

The importance of paid plasma donations for donors and patients alike cannot be overstated, which is why we’re always looking for ways to optimize our compensation plan. Without further ado, here are 3 benefits of our brand new Super Hero Rewards loyalty program that launched on July 6, 2020!

1. Ongoing Payments

With our new Super Hero Rewards loyalty program, there are three levels donors can achieve:

• Orange level: All donors who give plasma at Canadian Plasma Resources start at this level. They will receive $30 for their first donation of the week and $50 for their second donation of the week.
• Silver level: Donors who give plasma twice per week for two consecutive weeks will reach Silver level. They will receive $30 for their first donation of the week and $55 for their second donation of the week.
• Gold level: Donors who give plasma twice per week for two more consecutive weeks, following the initial two consecutive weeks, will reach Gold level. These two weeks of consecutive donations do not have to occur back to back. Gold level donors will receive $30 for their first donation of the week and $60 for their second donation of the week. 

Instead of donors receiving their additional compensation in a lump sum payment, the additional compensation Silver and Gold level donors earn will be paid following their plasma donations over the course of the year. With this program, you’ll be able to spend the additional compensation you earn sooner rather than later!

2. Opportunities to Earn More

CPR’s current Super Hero Rewards loyalty program gives donors the opportunity to earn more bonuses much sooner! Donors no longer have to wait for their 25^th donation to start earning $4 bonuses and their 50^th donation to start earning $5 bonuses, as was the case with our previous program. Now donors can earn $5 bonuses after giving plasma twice per week for two consecutive weeks and $10 bonuses if they give plasma twice per week for two more consecutive weeks. This means that donors can start earning up to $85/week after four consecutive donations and up to $90/week after eight consecutive donations (if they choose to do their two consecutive weeks of two donations per week back to back).

3. Promoting More Plasma Donations

Last but certainly not least, our new program is designed to promote more plasma donations. For donors to maintain their Silver or Gold status, they must donate plasma at least once per calendar week. If a donation is missed in a given week, donors will return back to the Orange level. For donors to earn their additional $5 or $10 bonuses after attaining Silver or Gold status, they must give plasma twice per calendar week.

With this plan, we hope to encourage donors to give plasma as much as they possibly can. At the end of the day, more plasma donations lead to the creation of more life-saving therapies for chronically ill patients.

To learn more about our new Super Hero Rewards loyalty program, visit the Compensation page on the Canadian Plasma Resource’s website. To start earning your bonuses as soon as possible, book your next appointment today!

juin 20, 2019

Presently, plasma donors are permitted to make one plasma donation in a 7-day period in accordance with CPR’s Health Canada approved standard operating procedures. This regulation has restricted the amount of plasma that can be collected as well as the amount of money donors can receive. Thankfully, this will no longer be the case as of July 5^th, because long awaited changes to the plasma donation wait period are finally here!

In today’s blog we’ll be going over everything you need to know about the plasma donation changes that will come into effect on July 5^th.

Increased Weekly Plasma Donation Frequency

Donation frequency will be changed from once a week to two donations in a 7-day period. Donors that opt to donate twice in a week need at least one rest day between the two donation days. For example, you can donate on a Monday and Wednesday, and the next time you’d be eligible to donate would be the following Monday.

Increased Six Month Plasma Donation Frequency

Currently, donors are allowed to donate a maximum of 18 to 23 times in a six-month rolling period depending on their weight. In accordance with the changes made to the frequency of weekly donations, six-month cumulative volume limits will no longer have such restrictions. Plasma donors are now permitted to donate up to 104 times in a year, or twice a week for 52 weeks.

Total Protein Measurements Taken During Registration

Donor safety standards are changing along with the donation wait period, and total protein (TP) is an increasingly important parameter to assess donor eligibility. TP will now be measured in screening stations during the donor registration process as opposed to after donation.

A finger stick test will be performed using a single use sterile lancing device. After a blood sample is collected, the capillary tube will be spun and hematocrit (HCT) and TP will be measured. HCT measurement is replacing the hemoglobin (Hb) which is done at reception. The minimum acceptable TP level is 6.0 g/dl and the minimum acceptable HCT measurement is 38.0%.

Donors with unacceptable TP and HCT levels will be deferred and ineligible to move on to a plasmapheresis session the day they have been tested. Once TP and HCT levels have returned back to normal, a donor can resume with subsequent donations.

What This Means for Canadian Plasma Resources

Plasma donors at Canadian Plasma Resources will soon have the opportunity to donate more frequently and will be paid accordingly. Keep your eyes peeled for changes to our donor compensation plan!

Book your next appointment today!