Plasma Services Group (PSG) is a medical research company that recruits people with coagulation and clotting disorders to donate blood samples and plasma for diagnostic research.
If you are actively taking Coumadin, read this Q&A with Tony Zamparelli, PSG’s Director of Business Development, to find out how you can help yourself and others by becoming a donor.
Can people on Coumadin donate plasma?
Yes! Since the plasma PSG collects is being used for medical and diagnostic research, taking Coumadin will not disqualify you from donating like it may for other blood donations. If you qualify for plasma donation, PSG will contact your doctor to confirm you are healthy enough to undergo plasma donation. On the day of your scheduled donation, a trained medical professional will measure your vital signs and monitor you during the donation process. The amount of plasma you can donate is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A person can safely donate plasma two times within a 7 day period.
Does PSG compensate patients for participating in collections and studies?
Yes, PSG pays $100 for at-home blood sample collections and $200 per plasma
donation. PSG mails you a collection kit, and a phlebotomy service draws
the sample in your home at a time that is convenient for you. PSG tests the
blood sample to see if you qualify for its paid plasma donation program. If
you qualify, you will go to a local, FDA-registered center for plasma
donation. If you do not qualify for plasma donation, PSG will keep your
information on file for any future projects you may be right for.
How important is my plasma donation?
It is critically important. Coumadin is widely available and affordable but requires therapy monitoring. Patients frequently test their blood’s international normalized ratios (INR) to ensure they’re within therapeutic range. Making sure those results are correct is essential, and this can only be done with true patient plasmas who are actively taking Coumadin.
Why is PSG looking for people on Coumadin?
The diagnostic and medical industry needs plasmas from patients taking Coumadin to help ensure that blood-tests accurately measure clotting times. The sensitivity of the thromboplastin that is used in these tests needs to be measured to guarantee correct blood-work. In turn, that result determines if patients are prescribed the correct Coumadin dosage. The plasma you donate will help make sure lab results are accurate, which keeps people safe from blood clots.
What type of testing is PSG doing on people who take Coumadin?
PSG measures prothrombin times (PT) to determine the ISI value (International Sensitivity Index) of thromboplastin. Each batch of thromboplastin that a company makes has a different sensitivity between lot and method. In the past, this meant that a patient could get different PT/INR results from the same sample in different labs. Since this result dictates the dose and frequency of Coumadin, it’s important that the results are standardized. The PT times PSG generates in its lab help companies create a correction factor that ensures a patient’s INR result is the same from lab to lab.
Will I be able to see how the research has helped people on Coumadin?
PSG is not a diagnostic laboratory, so results cannot be shared with you. However, every time you have your PT/INR measured, know that your donation was used to generate accurate INR results for millions of American and helped to prevent dangerous blood clots.
Where do I sign-up?
If you are actively taking Coumadin, you can instantly qualify for an at-home blood sample collection and earn $100 by signing up at psgdonors.com/donor-form or call Director of Donor Recruitment, Mike Delahanty at 215-355-1288 x6.