Octapharma: Plasma Donation – Header Section Logo
Octapharma: Plasma Donation Center – Mobile Section Logo
  • About Plasma
    • What is Plasma?
    • Plasmagic
    • Donating Plasma FAQs
  • New Donors
    • Plasmagic
    • Earning Potential
    • Eligibility Requirements
    • Donor & Patient Stories
    • Donating Plasma FAQs
  • Return Donors
    • Resources
    • Refer a Friend
    • Donation Tips
    • Share Your Story
    • Donating Plasma FAQs
  • Donor Resources
    • OctaApp
    • OctaPass
    • Donor Portal
    • OctaRewards
  • Company
    • Our Vision
    • Leadership Team
    • Careers
    • News & Events
FIND A CENTER
FIND A CENTER
Return Donors
  • Resources
  • Refer a Friend
  • Donation Tips
  • Share Your Story
  • Donating Plasma FAQs
Donation Tips
  • Time Saving Tips
  • Health & Nutrition Tips
  • OctaApp

Back To Top

Preparing for Your Plasma Donation

Tips for Donating Plasma Faster

Here are plasma donation tips to shorten your time:

1. Avoid peak donation periods of the day

Check with your local center on the lowest volume days and hours of the day. You can find your center hours here:
Find a Center »

Plasma Donation Center Map - Octapharma Plasma Donation Tips

2. Use your OctaPass

OctaPass is an online screening questionnaire that helps you save time at our donation center. To use OctaPass:

  • Download OctaApp.
  • Complete the online questionnaire the day of your donation.
  • Scan your barcode when you arrive at the center.
Octa pass use

Health and Nutrition Tips

Eating the right foods and drinking plenty of water is always important for your health. Focusing on good nutrition is even more important before and after you donate plasma. Follow these tips to get your body ready to donate, and to prepare for a safe and successful plasma donation experience.

nutrients

Before you donate plasma

  • Stay Hydrated – Drink 6 to 8 cups of water or juice the day before you donate plasma and the day of your donation.
  • Eat Protein and Iron-Rich Food – Eat protein-rich, iron-rich meals at least 3 hours before donating plasma.
    • Meat (Beef, Chicken, Eggs, Shrimp, Turkey, Ham)
    • Dairy (Milk, Cheese, Yogurt)
    • Beans, Nuts, Seeds
    • Vegetables (Broccoli, Collard Greens)
    • Fruits (Watermelon, Raisins)
    • Cereals (iron-enriched)
  • Get a good night’s sleep.
  • Wear comfortable clothes, with sleeves that can be pushed up to your shoulder.
  • Bring something to pass the time. Take advantage of free wi-fi at all of our donation centers with a smartphone or tablet, or bring music (with headphones, of course), a book, or a magazine.
  • Avoid fatty foods like french fries, potato chips, pizza, or sweets the day you donate. They can affect blood tests and make your plasma milky, which might prevent you from donating.
  • Avoid alcohol the night before you donate plasma and the day of your donation.
plasma donation health requirements - octapharma plasma

After you donate plasma

  • Wait 2 days to donate plasma again. 
  • Continue to drink plenty of water.
  • Continue to eat foods rich in protein and iron.
  • Avoid smoking for 30 minutes and alcohol for 4 hours after donation.
  • Avoid strenuous exercise immediately after donating.
Octapharma plasma donation requirements - family
OctaApp mock up image

OctaApp

For donors, the OctaApp makes donating plasma, saving lives, and earning money so much faster and easier! Keep track of what you earn by checking your card balance right from the app and also use our payment calculator to set your expectations of your next donation visit! The new and improved OctaRewards Program is also on OctaApp now with:

  • A new mobile interface allows you to access your rewards on the go.
  • New ways to earn points.
  • Redeem points for great perks such as express passes and gift cards.
  • Points never expire.
  • Be automatically enrolled in reward program after your 1st donation.
Download and sign up today!

Plasma Donation Resources

Quick Links to Donor Tools

OctaApp

Plasma donation at your fingertips with our mobile app.

LEARN MORE

OctaPass

Make your next plasma donation experience seamless & efficient by filling out our online OctaPass. Learn more about how it works.

LEARN MORE

Donor Portal

Determine your upcoming payment level based on your last 35 days of plasma donations.

LEARN MORE

OctaRewards

Our way of recognizing & rewarding valued donors! As a member, you earn points to qualify for tiered rewards including Express Passes, e-gift card

LEARN MORE

Find Your Plasma Center

Octapharma: Plasma Center – Footer Logo
  • FIND A CENTER
  • Contact Us
  • Media
  • Careers
  • Octapharma AG

Copyright© 2023 Octapharma Plasma. All rights reserved.
Privacy. UnitedHealthcare Transparency in Coverage.

  • FIND A CENTER

Copyright© 2023 Octapharma Plasma. All rights reserved.
Privacy. UnitedHealthcare Transparency in Coverage.


Back To Top
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}