Provision of medical coverage for automated plasma collections

A transfusion medicine physician who oversees a plasma collection center wonders what others do regarding medical coverage of automated plasma collection procedures. According to the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) Guide to inspections of source plasma establishments, Section 1, page 7, published in June 1997 and edited in April 2001, "It is acceptable for a physician to be constructively on the premises, that is, able to arrive on the premises within approximately 15 minutes after being contacted. Some Source Plasma establishments, however, have a variance to provide physician intervention within 15 minutes by transporting the donor to a designated medical facility instead of the physician being constructively available." The inquiring physician wonders what others do to provide medical coverage of automated plasma collection.

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