August 16, 2022

Myths about plasma donation can make it seem much more daunting than it actually is. In this blog, we’re going to be breaking down the top myths that could keep potential donors from making it to their local centre. We’re also going to unveil the truths that highlight why plasma donation is so important.

Keep reading to learn more about what you can actually expect to happen as a plasma donor!

What Are the Top Myths About Plasma Donation? 

1. Paid plasma donation is a new trend, and it’s unnecessary – we can get by on volunteer donations. 

The Truth: The demand for IVIg, an essential plasma-derived treatment used to treat immunocompromised patients, has increased by 6-8% each year over the past ten years. IVIg is used to treat a variety of diseases and disorders.

Canada is in the top three highest per capita users of IVIg in the world. And it’s not just Canada. The majority of developed countries rely on paid plasma donations to attempt to meet their needs.

Also, some Winnipeg donors have been paid for their plasma donations for over 30 years in Canada – so it’s certainly not a new practice. 

2. Paid donations are more dangerous than donations made by volunteers.

The Truth: Canadian patients and donors have access to some of the safest plasma products in the world.

Our strict protocols, from donation to production, ensure that our supplies of plasma are healthy and safe. Thanks to modern technology and adherence to guidelines and protocols, Canada hasn’t had a single case of transmission of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV through plasma products for over 30 years. 

3. Paid plasma donations target low-income people.

The Truth: Regardless of your socioeconomic status, the eligibility requirements for plasma donation remain the same. In order to donate plasma, you have to meet the following requirements: 

• Be between 17 and 68 years. of age.
• Weigh between 50 kg to 180 kg.
• Have a permanent address within 100 kilometres of a Canadian Plasma Resources facility.
• Present valid photo identification, proof of address, social insurance card.
• Qualify to donate. This involves a process that includes a questionnaire, an interview, a medical examination and testing on two separate occasions within a 26-week period.
• Have not had a tattoo or piercing done in the past 6 months.
• Have not donated blood in the past 56 days.

Why Are Myths About Plasma Donation So Harmful?

Misconceptions about plasma donations can prevent people from giving plasma. This can ultimately contribute to plasma shortages. 

Canadian patients require 1.2 million litres of plasma for life-sustaining treatments – and we don’t collect nearly enough plasma to meet those needs. 

What Can You Do to Help Dispel These Myths? 

Donating plasma consistently saves lives and is the only way to provide those who require plasma protein therapies with the treatments they need to survive. You can help to correct these common misconceptions and break the stigma by booking a plasma donation appointment today and sharing your experience with your friends, family, and online community. We hope to see you at one of our centres in the near future!

December 30, 2021

Now that the festive season is winding down, you may be looking for a way to pay off your holiday bills. Plasma donation is a great way to do just that, but if you haven’t given plasma within Canada, you may have a few questions that need answering first. Keep reading to learn more about how you can go about getting paid for donating plasma!

Can You Get Paid to Donate Plasma in Canada?

Unlike the US, where people are allowed to be compensated for plasma donations throughout the country, paid plasma donations are only permitted in certain provinces in Canada. Provinces where you can potentially get paid to donate plasma include:

• Saskatchewan
• New Brunswick
• Alberta
• Manitoba
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Nova Scotia
• Prince Edward Island

You also need to meet certain eligibility requirements in order to get paid to donate plasma, like being between 17 and 68 years of age, weighing between 50 to 180 kg, and not having had a tattoo or piercing done in the past six months. 

Why Do You Get Paid for Donating Plasma?

There are numerous reasons why plasma donors get paid for their contributions, the first being the time commitment that is required for plasma donation. Repeat donors can expect their plasma donation appointments to take a little over an hour. This is due to the plasmapheresis portion of the plasma donation process where donors are connected to a specialized machine that extracts plasma and returns all other blood components to the body. 

Another reason plasma donors are compensated is because it is the only way to ensure a safe and sufficient supply of plasma therapies. Currently, the US, a country that compensates donors, is responsible for over 70% of all the plasma that is used to create life-saving medicines around the world. When grouped with other countries that also pay their donors, including Austria, Hungary, Germany, and the Czech Republic, 90% of the total global supply of plasma can be accounted for. 

How Much Can You Get Paid for Donating Plasma?

The amount of money you make from donating plasma largely depends on how frequently you donate and the volume of plasma you donate. At Canadian Plasma Resources, you can earn up to $400/month if you consistently donate between 875-975 ml of plasma twice per week. Typically, your compensation will be sent to you within 48 hours of each donation you make. 

Donors at Canadian Plasma Resources also get plenty of opportunities to earn monetary bonuses and gift cards at our centres. We regularly hold theme day events where donors who participate can earn $5 bonuses. Donors who give plasma at any time during the month are automatically entered to win $100 gift cards in our monthly Super Hero Prize Draws. 

Whether you want to spend the compensation you earn on paying off your holiday bills, saving up for a much-needed vacation, or putting money towards school, you can do all of those things by donating plasma. Plus, your donations will help patients in need. Book a plasma donation appointment at a centre near you to do good and get paid for it!

September 8, 2021

At Canadian Plasma Resources, we’ve always stood behind paid plasma donations and compensated our donors for their contributions. We also continuously look for ways to optimize our compensation plan so that it’s beneficial for our donors and for the patients receiving plasma-derived treatments. 

As of Monday, August 10th, we will be implementing a brand new compensation plan at our centres! Here’s everything you need to know about our updated compensation and reward plan.

How CPR’s New Compensation Plan Differs from the Old Plan

Instead of compensating donors based on the frequency of their donations, we will now also be factoring in the collected volume of plasma that donors give. We’ve decided to make this change so that we can reward donors who donate a larger volume of plasma. After all, the more plasma that is collected, the more life-saving therapies can be manufactured. 

For most donors, this new compensation plan will increase their compensation for their second visit of the week! 

How CPR’s New Compensation Plan Will Work

With our new compensation plan, donors will still have their Orange Level, Silver Level, and Gold Level Super Hero Statuses. Your current Super Hero Status will not be impacted when the new plan comes into effect on Monday, August 10th. For example, if you are a Gold Level donor in the days leading up to the new plan being put in place, you will remain a Gold Level donor.

If you donate between 180ml and 684ml of source plasma, you will be eligible to receive $30 for your first donation of the week and $30 for your second donation of the week, for a total of $60 for two donations per week. Your Super Hero Status will not affect how much compensation you receive. Donors only donate this amount of source plasma when their plasmapheresis session is interrupted or cut short. 

If you donate between 685ml and 874ml of source plasma, you will be eligible to receive $30 for your first donation of the week, regardless of your Super Hero Status. As an Orange Level donor, you will be eligible to receive $50 for your second donation of the week; as a Silver Level donor, you will be eligible to receive $55 for your second donation of the week; as a Gold Level donor, you will be eligible to receive $60 for your second donation of the week. This is the current compensation scheme we have in place, so if you donate this amount of plasma there will be no change to the amount of compensation you receive. 

Lastly, if you donate between 875ml and 975ml of source plasma, you will be eligible to receive $30 for your first donation of the week, regardless of your Super Hero Status. As an Orange Level donor, you will be eligible to receive $55 for your second donation of the week; as a Silver Level donor you will be eligible to receive $60 for your second donation of the week; as a Gold Level donor, you will be eligible to receive $65 for your second donation of the week. The majority of our donors will fall into this category and be able to earn more with our new compensation plan! 

How Compensation for Special Circumstances Will Change

We are also making changes to the compensation donors are eligible to receive when their source plasma units are rejected for being hyperlipidemic, overrun with red blood cells, or under our minimum volume level. Donors will be eligible to receive $10 when the new plan is implemented!

There will be no changes in compensation for “No Bleed”, “Sample Only”, or “Unsuccessful Venipuncture” visits:

• Donors will not be eligible to receive compensation for “No Bleed” visits, which occur when they are deferred by a physician substitute after filling out a questionnaire. 
• Donors will be eligible to receive $10 for “Sample Only” visits, which occur when they have been deferred for a certain period of time and come in to get a blood sample taken to see if they will be eligible to donate at a later date. 
• Donors will be eligible to receive $10 for “Unsuccessful Venupuncture” visits, which occur when donors pass their screening but are unable to donate plasma. 

We’re looking forward to implementing our new compensation plan on August 10th and giving our donors a well-deserved opportunity to increase their compensation! Book your next plasma donation appointment today to contribute to a worthwhile cause and get compensated for doing so. 

January 5, 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! 

January 5, 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!

July 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!

November 28, 2019

Paying plasma donors in Canada is a contentious issue that has raised concerns and given rise to fierce debate for quite some time now. Despite a large number of ethicists, economists, and medical professionals publicly supporting paid plasma donations, there are a small percentage of Canadians that still question the practice and its legitimacy.  In today’s blog, we’ll be debunking common misconceptions about paid plasma donations and unpacking all the reasons that compensating donors is important.

Donor Appreciation

First and foremost, paying plasma donors is a great way to show your appreciation for their time and effort. Plasma donation is a process that takes anywhere from one and a half hours to over two hours to complete, depending on how many donations you’ve made in the past. This time commitment in addition to the temporary discomfort that can come from blood plasma being drawn makes donors more than deserving of economic consideration. Paid plasma donation also provides donors with additional remuneration that enables them to live much more comfortably.

Boosting Donations

In Canada, we don’t have nearly as many plasma donors as we need to meet the demand for plasma, and we largely rely on paid donors from the United States to make the lifesaving therapies that patients need. Compensating donors is pretty much the only way to ensure a secure supply of plasma and the world’s largest exporters of plasma, the US and Germany, are both countries that have legislation permitting plasma donors to be compensated. Evidently, paid plasma donations give plasma donors the extra motivation they need to continue donating, which in turn increases and secures the plasma supply for patients who need it.

A Safe Supply

Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, paid plasma donations are just, if not more,  safe than unpaid donations. All paid plasma donors must undergo rigorous screenings and regular blood tests to ensure tainted blood supplies never make their way to individuals that need lifesaving plasma treatments. In addition, since most of Canada’s current plasma supply comes from paid plasma donors in the US, patients would already be at risk, making the “safety” argument invalid.

At the end of the day, there is no disputing the fact that paid plasma donations are mutually beneficial. Plasma donors get compensated for their time, effort, and commitment, and patients that need lifesaving therapies are much more easily able to access them. At Canadian Plasma Resources, we’ve been long-time proponents of paid plasma donation and have seen first hand how this practice can make a difference in the lives of donors and recipients alike.

Book your next appointment today.

November 1, 2019

Plasma donation in Canada is an industry that’s had its fair share of setbacks. Despite a desire to do good and give back to individuals living with immune deficiencies and autoimmune diseases, plasma donation services have been met with protest and political debate. Thankfully, Canadian Plasma Resources has been able to overcome these challenges and we’ve been contributing to the creation of lifesaving therapies since 2016. In fact, Canadian Plasma Resource’s Saskatoon centre collects more plasma than any other blood establishment in Canada, including those operated by CBS or Hema Quebec.

Getting our centres up and running was a step in the right direction for paid plasma in Canada, but we’re still lagging far behind the United States. To this day, we continue to rely on them to meet our country’s demand for plasma.

Canada only collects about 15% of the plasma needed to meet the demand for domestic immune globulin, one of the lifesaving medicines that is made from source plasma. That means we’re currently relying on paid donors in the United States to provide about 85% of our plasma supply. A relatively easy, short-term solution to this issue would be to pay more Canadian plasma donors, but Canadian Blood Services refuses to support paid plasma donations in Canada and prefers to import finished products made from paid US donors.

The lack of proper planning on the part of Canadian Blood Services has led to a shortage of take home immune globulin products in Canada, which means patients who weren’t already on it may no longer be able to access it. Many Canadians rely heavily on take home immune globulin products, and without it, their condition will significantly decline. This can result in issues walking, and for some, even breathing can become laboured.

With people’s health on the line and such a feasible solution available, it simply doesn’t make sense for Canadian Blood Services to block the efforts to make paid plasma donation possible. Paid plasma donations have been proven time and time again to be the only way to ensure a secure supply of plasma. Paid donors in the United States provide over 70% of the entire world’s supply of plasma that is used to create plasma medicine.

Not only is paid plasma donation the only option, but it’s also a safe option. A Health Canada report has explicitly stated that paid plasma donations are just as safe as unpaid plasma donations. Patient groups that rely on plasma therapies have even come out and made their support for paid plasma known.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that has verified the positive effects of paid plasma donations, the previous governments of Alberta and Ontario, as well as the current NDP government in British Columbia, continue to listen to public sector unions that oppose this service instead of the patients that need it. Paid plasma is an absolute must for these patients, and it is something that we will likely always rely on in Canada. We can only hope that Canadian Unions and Canadian Blood Services will have a change of heart and realize that paid plasma donations in Canada benefit taxpayers, donors, and, most importantly, recipients, and this option is preferable to paid donations from the US.

Book your next appointment today.

June 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!