Plasma donation provides critical components for life-saving medical treatments. These treatments benefit individuals with serious health conditions like bleeding disorders, immune deficiencies, or those undergoing organ transplants. To ensure the safety of both the donor and recipient, strict eligibility criteria are in place, and certain medications can affect a person’s ability to donate plasma.
Why Medications Affect Plasma Donation
Medication-based deferrals protect both the donor and the recipient. Some medications can impact a donor’s health during the donation process, for instance, by affecting blood clotting or masking symptoms of an underlying illness. For example, blood thinners could increase a donor’s risk of excessive bleeding or bruising during the procedure.
Another reason for deferral is to prevent medication residues in the donated plasma from harming the recipient. Plasma is used to create therapies for vulnerable patients, including those with compromised immune systems or infants, and its purity is paramount. Even small traces of certain drugs could lead to adverse reactions or complications in these sensitive individuals.
Medications Leading to Permanent Disqualification
Certain medications result in permanent deferral due to the underlying health conditions they treat or their long-lasting effects. For example, individuals taking HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy or ART) are permanently disqualified due to the risk of transmission through donated blood products.
Medications like etretinate (Tegison), previously used for severe psoriasis, lead to permanent ineligibility due to severe teratogenic risks and long persistence in the body. Similarly, human-derived growth hormone, prescribed in the past for growth issues, causes permanent deferral due to the risk of transmitting Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD).
Medications for certain cancers or serious autoimmune diseases, such as leflunomide (Arava) or teriflunomide (Aubagio), often indicate an underlying condition that disqualifies a donor, or the drugs themselves can cause birth defects or harm to recipients. Long-term anticoagulant therapy, like warfarin, also generally leads to permanent deferral due to increased bleeding risk for the donor and potential impact on the plasma’s clotting properties.
Medications Causing Temporary Deferral
Many medications cause temporary deferral, allowing donation after a waiting period. Common antibiotics require a deferral period, typically 24 hours after the last dose, or longer if the infection is active. This ensures the donor is healthy and any active infection has resolved.
Acne medications like isotretinoin (Accutane) require a one-month waiting period after the last dose. This deferral is because isotretinoin can cause severe birth defects if transferred to a pregnant recipient. Similarly, prostate medications like finasteride (Proscar, Propecia) require a one-month deferral, and dutasteride (Avodart) requires six months, due to their potential to affect fetal development if received by a pregnant individual.
Live attenuated vaccines (e.g., MMR, chickenpox) require a two to four-week deferral period. This allows the body to clear vaccine components and prevents transfer of live vaccine virus to the recipient. Short-term anticoagulants, like enoxaparin (Lovenox) or rivaroxaban (Xarelto), may have deferral periods ranging from two to seven days, depending on the specific drug and donation center guidelines.
Confirming Your Eligibility
Individual eligibility can vary based on specific circumstances and the policies of different donation centers. Potential donors must be honest about all medications they are currently taking or have recently taken, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and dietary supplements.
The most reliable way to confirm eligibility is to directly contact the specific plasma donation center you plan to visit. Eligibility criteria can differ between organizations such as the American Red Cross, CSL Plasma, or BioLife Plasma Services. The staff at these centers, including nurses and medical screeners, are trained to assess medication eligibility based on current guidelines and can provide definitive information tailored to your situation.