When I arrived at my whole blood donation appointment today with the Canadian Blood Services, the receptionist asked me if I might be interested in donating plasma instead. I asked, “Why, is there a shortage?” and she (and later the other wonderful collection specialists) explained to me that essentially, yes—there is a shortage.

I had no idea until today, but it seems our plasma supply for now largely depends on purchasing from the global market. Worse, we’ve apparently had to contract private entities that operate paid plasma collection clinics, which is unethical and also increases the safety risks that threaten our supply (i.e. desperate individuals can feel compelled to sell their plasma to help meet their financial needs).