Why did the Blood Service stop collecting plasma in 2014?

The Blood Service collected plasma through plasmapheresis from the 1970s until 2014. At that time, the decision to discontinue the mechanical collection of plasma was made for medical and economic reasons – there was no longer the specific need for apheresis plasma in Finland, as the development of production processes meant that the origin of the plasma used in plasma preparations was no longer as significant as it was previously. Additionally, plasmapheresis activities were no longer profitable.

In 2024, plasmapheresis operations will begin again, as the situation has changed, and there has been a shortage of plasma raw material in Europe for years. The European Blood Alliance (EBA), which represents European blood banks, the Council of Europe, and the EU Commission have recognised the need to increase European plasma collection and reduce dependence on plasma from the US.