BioLife Plasma

Gradually been getting worse since I came here starting in September. actually waited 20 mins after initial processing to get hooked up for the actual physical donation today. Normally I could understand if it was busy but it wasn’t in the slightest. no apologizes or sorry for the inconvenience. I will be taking my plasma donations to south austin going forward even though it’s a bit more of a drive I suggest anyone else does the same. Doesn’t the management here understand that some people are on a work break and don’t have all that time to waste?

I base this review on BioLife Plasma Austin, as it stacks up against other plasma donation agencies. Being as I haven’t been to any other plasma donation agencies, I think it was pretty swell!
Seriously, the staff here were actually very cool. Lindsay, Rose and Sergio, as well as other nurse staff whom I interacted with, were all friendly, professional and good at what they do. The facility was very clean, and it was getting a TON of business the day I arrived (Thanksgiving Eve).
I should warn you, though: the very first time you come here, expect about a 1.5 hour wait before you even sit down to donate. Well, it’s not a wait, as you’re getting checked up and you’re answering questionnaires and you’re going over your health history with medical staff, and little actual waiting. However, because they need to be sure that you are fit to donate plasma, they will give you the whole nine yards when it comes to screenings. Lindsay, Rose and other staff were very friendly with the whole procedure, and helped to calm my nerves.
The actual donation portion, the staff told me, can take anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour, depending on a number of factors. I myself took 41 minutes. You lie back in this reclined couch, with a cool little machine next to you, they hook you up, put the needle in, and wait for the bag to fill up with plasma. Sergio adeptly did the needling, and I got to relax and chill while the machine did its thing. One other thing: there’s a cycle to this blood-​drawing thing. The cuff will tighten for a few minutes, and you should loosely clench your fist will it does. When the cuff loosens, you can relax as your blood is separated in the machine, and the red blood cells are returned to you. Also, after some time you might notice that the fluids flowing back into you are rather cold. This is nothing to worry about, and is in fact a saline solution to rehydrate you. It’s also a sign that you are just about done with the whole process.
After your first time, the whole process should not take more than one hour, including signing in and signing out.
I wish they could write you a check instead of having to use another debit card, but hey, I’m helping with medical research and getting paid to do it. What am I complaining about?

I’ve been going here for about a year and half, but recently stopped. It used to take less than an hour to donate plasma. Then they upped the payout from an average of about $ 55/​week (two donations) to a consistent payout of $ 70/​week. Normally this would be a good thing, but it SIGNIFICANTLY increased the wait and donate time. I’ve had several donations take more than two hours. They seem to not care at all about appointments – you can make one, but it is still first come, first served. $~55/​week for two hours comes to about $ 27.50/hr., but their new payout system makes it closer to $ 17.50/hr ($ 70/​wk. /​4hrs/​wk. = 17.5). You also need to consider driving time and the unfortunate experience of dealing with all the people the new $ 70 payout has brought in… For me it’s no longer worth it.

So my First visit was AMAZING… second was fine… my 3^rd visit they wouldn’t let me donate because I had these little bruises that didn’t even hurt. HELO i’m WHITE my skin is pale and I had other veins around it. They wouldn’t use those because it was in the same area of the bruise… GIVE ME A BREAK! I work in health care and using another vein isn’t going to harm anyone!!! Oh and by the way the assembly line vital people talk 100 mph you don’t understand a word they are saying… and they talk amongst each other… reminds me of a nail salon. The best part is the RUDE Nurse who talks at you… really you have no business in health care if you cant speak to someone with compassion. I might continue to donate, but I will defiantly NEVER recommend this place to ANYONE!

So I’ve been on here three times or I should say I’ve had blood plasma take here three times. I’ve gone about six times but a few times I got turned away because my hematocrit was too low but that’s not their fault. the place is very clean the people are very nice and it’s a great way to make a little bit of extra cash for people like me who can’t necessarily get a job right now. It doesn’t really hurt it’s little pinch when they stick the needle in and then every once in a while it felt like a mild itch that I need to scratch but definitely not as big of a deal as I thought it was going to be.

About fifteen years ago, this center was (I believe) owned and run by a different company with a similar name, perhaps BioMed. Back in those days, I donated regularly and always had a positive experience. Recently, I’ve had some financial goals come up that require me to go «above and beyond» my normal day job to achieve. I was trying to think outside the box and look at a number of different potential options that would put a little extra scratch in my pocket, and remembered my previous experiences here. I went on their website, reviewed all the available information, and made an appointment for today at 6am.
I arrived a little early, having woken up at 4:30am so that I could eat a healthy breakfast and drink a little more water. The staff members manning the desk were friendly, and started getting me checked in, took my name & address, SSN, thumbprint, etc. A few minutes later, I was called back into a separate room by a nurse to be asked some questions. Noticing visible tattoos on my arms, she asked how many tattoos I had, and I answered the question truthfully — but evidently my truthful answer was past the center’s magic number.
I was told by this nurse that this BioLife center was one of three centers in the US that was participating in a pilot program with the FDA which limited donors to those of us with less than five tattoos in an effort to determine whether that had an impact on the «viral load» of plasma collected. She seemed to sympathize with the situation, and acknowledged that perhaps a town like Austin is not the best place to pilot such a program, as they end up turning away a number of nice people and otherwise worthy donors. I did not think to ask (at such an early hour, and without caffeine coursing through my system) whether this was an ongoing pilot program or one that might be ending soon until after I returned home. She also recommended another plasma donation center in town that evidently does not have this limitation. Unfortunately, this other donation center is not as convenient to my home, and from what I’ve read online, pays substantially less per donation.
While the staff here was friendly and shared some information, I can’t help but feel a little deflated by the whole experience today. If this is a requirement, why is it not mentioned anywhere on their website (even on the specific location page that you have to go to in order to create an appointment)? Would it not save potential donors and their staff a substantial amount of time and frustration? And why couldn’t they have let me know about this requirement before taking my picture, thumbprint, driver’s license, and social security number? I’m not exactly a conspiracy theorist, but just from a practical standpoint, why would I want to provide this information to a company that doesn’t want my patronage?
So overall, I can’t in good conscience rate this business highly. Their staff was friendly and seemed to be knowledgeable during my admittedly-​brief interactions with them, which saved the business from a one-​star rating. Having previously donated multiple times a month for a number of years at this location, I was hoping to be able to report a happier experience. I may give them another chance at some point in the future, but I’ll make sure to call first and ask them if my tattoos still disqualify me.

I’ve been going to Biolife for a couple years now, off and on. I have no experience with other plasma centers, but have had a great experience here. The physical process is long, at least two hours. They want to make sure that you are healthy enough to donate. They ask you several health questions in a private room and a nurse does a physical on you. Once you are approved to donate, you do your first donation that day.
Since they are only taking plasma and not red blood cells, you can donate 2x a week since plasma regenerates instantly. I usually felt mildly tired afterwards if my immune system already wasn’t amazing, but generally, it didn’t affect me much and was significantly different as to how I feel after donating blood (where I’m pretty much useless after). Not sure what the current rates are, but you used to get $ 25 for the first donation in a week, then $ 30 for the second. If you came in 2x a week for the 4 weeks in a month, you could make $ 220! This is a pretty big chunk of change.
Every time you come in, you have to answer a series of questions, then wait in a line to do your vitals (which is kind of nice to have constant checks on those) and then are assigned to an area to start donating! You choose a bed and someone comes over to help you. The needles do tend to hurt because they are hollow and big, but it only hurts for a little bit and if you get someone really good, doesn’t hurt at all.
Bring something in with you to squeeze to help pump the blood in that arm, I usually brought in a squishy ball. You also need to eat something protein-​rich and not too fatty within at least 2 hours before the appt time and TONS of water the day before and the day of, so there’s enough protein/​water content in the plasma and your body has enough sustenance so that it doesn’t pass out.
The appointments themselves only take about an hour and you’re just lying on a medical bed, so you can read, study or watch a movie on your laptop. I saw people doing all these things. I would bring in a blanket, since it’s cold in there!
It’s really easy to book your appointments online and they have a TON of availability to fit pretty much any work schedule you might have.
I do have three big issues with them.
1) They have a weird policy with tattoos and piercings, as many have stated. It used to be that you could not donate if you had 6 or more tattoos, but no one could explain why that number was chosen. Or give a reasonable and scientific answer as to why it matters even if it’s been years and they’re testing you anyway.
2) They had to «take me back» to talk to a nurse in regards to an answer I gave on one of their questions. They had a series of situations and asked if I thought each one was risky behavior or not. One of them was homosexual sex. I said no. The nurse tried to ask me why I answered this way and I said that homosexual sex was NOT inherently risky and that it’s pretty discriminatory and inflammatory of them to say it is. I explained that if the question had asked if UNprotected homosexual sex was risky, then I would have said yes. But ANY unprotected sex is risky, homosexual or not. This feels akin to the American Red Cross not even allowing anyone who’s EVER participated in «homosexual acts» to donate blood and is based on old discrimination and NOT FACTS. She reluctantly gave me the okay to donate, but I could tell she was really annoyed with me.
3) On my health history papers, they asked if I had received acupuncture, I said yes I had in the student clinic that *I* interned in. When I was there, they pulled me into the back room to say that I would have to bring in my MEDICAL RECORDS if I’ve done acupuncture in the last two years. When I asked why, they said it was the same reason for tattoos, they had to make sure I didn’t get an infection or something… what. Of course they don’t ask if you’ve ever seen a western medicine intern or went to a student dental clinic. She also told me I had to tell her what I was being treated for and I told her that was none of her business and I have a right to privacy for my health history if it has nothing to do them. She told me it could affect my ability to donate and I told her that if it did, then maybe they needed to look at the weeding out questions they’re asking on the form because obviously it isn’t complete. Unbelievable. I wasn’t able to start donating for another 7 months because of this incredibly discriminatory and again NON-​SCIENTIFIC rule. I was really angry with that first woman and told her that I understood she didn’t make the rules, that Baxter did, but this was completely ridiculous. As a Licensed Acupuncturist, I was extremely offended.
Aside from these things, I generally enjoyed this place.

As a busy person, it is great to be able to schedule your appointment and not have to wait at a 1^st come, 1^st serve basis. Very clean. I constantly see them cleaning up and disinfecting. It takes me 43 minutes to complete my donation when I go Wednesdays and Fridays.

If you want to deal with individuals that don’t know how to stick you with needles, condescending nurses, policies that are inefficient then this is the place to go.
Yes you can make some extra money, yes you can donate for a good cause but after you deal with the above mentioned negative issues it really isn’t worth your time!
Very disappointed and won’t recommend to anyone else.

This place sucks. The staff is rude and they make you go through the initial processes only to tell you that you cant donate because they require the last donation date from other donation clinics. Giving all my info including my finger print and social security number so they can have it in their database then telling me that I cant donate. Geez I got scamed into giving all my private info. Fuck that

So I admit I have not yet actually been to the BioLife facility, just registered on the internet and set up an appointment. I came onto Unilocal to read reviews and get any tips for my visit. I saw the info about tattoos and piercings making you ineligible, so I decided to CALL, as in speak to some one in person.
(1) It was «difficult» to find their phone number. By difficult I mean I didn’t find it anywhere on their own site, I had to use the Googles.
(2) I spoke directly to the nurse who told me word for word, «I’m sorry, I am not able to release that information over the phone.» And she was unpleasant.
Really BioLife? You are unable to tell me your maximum for tattoos and piercings OVER THE PHONE? What kind of shady business are you running?
So… I’m trying to decide if I should actually take my time and drive up there today. I have 4 tattoos, and a few ear piercings, all of which are easily 5 years or more old.
What I really don’t understand is this: If you test someone’s blood and it’s fine, why are you limiting your potential client pool? Do they not know that this is Austin, and that very few people here are tattoo and piercing free? Just checkin’.

This place was a disappointment. First, I made an appointment via their website. I received a confirmation e-​mail but when I later checked my appointment time they showed nothing for me. I had to start over. Got an appointment 20 minutes later than my first «confirmed» time.
My friend also came along. His appointment time was 10:10 a. m on a Saturday. They finally called him up at 10:35. I was later called up, had to provide I.D. and social. Since the address on my license was not current I also provided a copy of my current electricity bill showing my true address. Not sure why it’s über important to have a correct address. Are they going to mail something to me? If I were homeless would I be declined to donate?
Well…I didn’t make if past the front desk. After providing some personal information, my fingerprint and a photo they did a quick evaluation of my veins. I’ve always had great veins (donate blood regularly) and I drink A LOT of water on a daily basis, not just the day of donation. I was not allowed to donate because the phlebotomist who checked my veins could not find a good one in both arms. Wasted an hour of my time. It would have been much easier for everyone if they check for «good veins» at the start.
My friend made it further through the process only to be turned away due to his criminal background. Really? If you have guidelines (much like the tattoo restrictions that so many others have commented on) publish those on your website or get to the «pass/​fail» part of the screening first.
The sad part about them turning away someone with a criminal record (for which he has paid his debt to society) is that someone in need of the plasma will not get it now.
My neighbor is a phlebotomist so I later asked her about my veins. She said they were fine. She could find more than enough places to poke a large gauge needle into my arms.
Shame on you BioLife for wasting our time.

BioLife wasted two hours of my time for no reason.
This place is the pits. So unprofessional.
They make your chart, take your blood, take your picture, analyze your blood, scan your fingerprint. AND KEEP ALL THAT IN THEIR RECORDS.
Then, after two hours of that bullshit, they casually mention my friend has 6 tattoos and 5 is the limit. This isn’t some jailhouse tattoo job mind you, these are small and actually very old.
What’s the difference in 5 vs 6 tattoos? No one could explain. What a JOKE.
Hey, BIOLIFE IDIOTS, how bout you put a sign up when people sign in stating the tattoo requirement?

«Time is money». If you have four or more tattoos do not waste your time. Wishing I would have read the Unilocal reviews before scheduling an appointment. After completing questionnaire, being pricked and going through the physical was told that I did not qualify to donate because I had too many tattoos (5). BioLIfe Plasma needs to be upfront and clearly state their policy on this matter.

Most of my experiences with the employees has been great; they are very kind and concerned for your over-​all well being. I personally can’t donate for a while due to recent issues, but I highly suggest it for a healthy person who wants to lend a hand to others in need.
My only complaint is one particular employee who insisted that being hydrated and drinking water had nothing to do with what one’s veins looked and felt like. She kept me there for a while and treated me like an absolute child. She was so harsh, it brought on an anxiety attack and my husband had to go in and report her. They took care of the issue swiftly and there are no hard feelings on my end.
If you have tattoos, ask beforehand if you’re eligible. The lengthy time to sign up can quickly be wasted if you have more than a couple, or ANY new piercings or tattoos! Also be sure to download their monthly coupon from the website for new donors, or people who haven’t donated in a while. It can be a bonus from $ 50 to even $ 250!

I went to Biolife Plasma for the first time today, and I can say that I felt kind of exposed in a sense and was not impressed to say in the least. Now coming from DCI Biologicals I guess I am a little biased in my opinion, but upon arriving everything felt out and open and that there was no privacy at all. I arrived early as I like being early for things I am scheduled for and did not wait long but long enough for me to get in a few rounds of tetris blitz. I felt that using my fingerprint for my files and saying and typing my social security on a screen in front of others seemed kind of invasive and at that point I felt uneasy about the whole ordeal. I was then directed by the lady who was gathering my information to follow her to a plasma donation chair where they would see if I was suitable for donation. A lady came to me and the woman from the lobby area and checked my veins and then she had another guy come and look at my veins specifically on my right arm. He stated that my veins were too small and that I could try again in 90 days. At that point i figured I could either get upset and question them or walk away knowing that I never had a problem at DCI and could go there instead if I wanted. Upon leaving the lady gave me a sheet to help make my veins bigger I suppose… but no thanks.
I will describe the place for those who have never been there and those who have been to DCI. Everything is out in the open such as a best buy, and as you walk in you see a big lobby desk area with chairs lined up for them to do the normal procedures as take your blood pressure, temperature, and protein test. From what I observed it seems the donor comes in and signs in using their fingerprint onto an iPad or computer then proceeds to the lobby area, waits to be called, and then sits down goes through all the tests and then after all that proceeds to the donor chairs which are a few feet away. I Did not see any televisions or snacks others described.
I give 2 stars because the staff seemed friendly and the location and parking was ordeal. As for me donating here… well no thanks I will stick to DCI

They turn you away for having too many tattoos. I’m not upset about that, though. What irritated me is that they let me go through the long qualification process only to tell me at the very end that I have too many tattoos. They took blood samples, had me answer questionnaires, and had me wait for nothing. They should make it clear that too many tattoos gets you deferred. DCI Biologicals does not defer because of having too many tattoos, so that’s where I’ll be going from now on.

I went to BioLife yesterday for the first time, and I was very impressed. They have quite the operation going on… and thanks to the weather, supposedly it was the slowest day in a long time. The nurse said they usually see about 400 people/​day.
Start to finish for my first appt… I checked in for an 11:30am appt and got started right away. I walked out at 2pm… not bad considering all the tests, paperwork, etc.
I thought the staff was very pleasant. I didn’t go there to make new best friends so I didn’t expect chatty employees. They were very informative, explaining the process, what they were looking for in the medical tests and why. I wish I could remember the guy’s name who walked me through the beginning process… he seemed new but was thorough and very helpful.
I am a regular blood donor so I already knew that I have small veins. The plasma needle is larger than the blood needle. A guy named Andy decided he would give my veins a go. Nice guy… information and helpful but not overly chatty (which I like)…as no surprise he didn’t get my left arm vein on the first shot. But did a perfect job on the right side! Most techs that looked at my veins didn’t want to try. So props to Andy!
I was walked through every step since it was my first time, so I can’t say how well the «self-​serve» process for checking in is yet. From watching those around me, it seems like it’s very stream-​lined and efficient.
Unlike one reviewer stated, I didn’t think everyone in there was «only there for drug or alcohol money.» I was surrounded by other donors dressed in business attire. Like myself, by appearances only, it seemed like a lot of people were there for a cause, and the cash is simply a bonus. I strongly believe in giving if you can, which is why I normally donate blood. I decided to try plasma because it’s close to work and my husband’s 40^th birthday is coming in a few months. I want to make some money for his gift that won’t come out of our account (and therefore he figures out what I’m getting him).
Point is, I would (and do) donate for free regularly… but the cash is a nice incentive to choose this particular program. Ultimately, it is a donation for the cause… and I think most people see it the same way. But either way, I was impressed with their operation and would recommend this place if you wanted to try it out for yourself.
Happy Donating!

As people have stated, the initial appointment can be kind of a pain as it takes a long time and have to have a physical. However, once this appointment is out of the way, each appointment after generally takes about 1 – 1.5 hours and is an easy way to make some extra cash, in addition to helping out your fellow human. Compensation amounts vary, but there are usually bonus offers. And coming up, they’re holding raffles for numerous cash prizes!
Why only four stars you ask? Most of the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, however, there are several who act like they simply hate their jobs. If that’s the case, go work somewhere else. You don’t need to ruin my experience with your poor attitude.

I was admittedly pretty nervous about 1. donating plasma for the first time, and 2. hanging out somewhere people literally sell body parts for cash, but this place was super nice and very streamlined. I knew the first visit was going to take a while since they put you through a pretty thorough physical, but that only took about an hour (fit as a fiddle!) even though they were pretty busy.
The facility is very updated, clean, and has generally good vibes. All the technicians I encountered were quick and pleasant. There are free snacks, water, and beverages, free wifi, and they even have a magazine cart in case you forget reading material.
The overall donation process is pretty painless. It gets annoying constantly pumping your hand (bring a stress ball!), but whatever. It took about 40 minutes to fill up a liter of plasma. It’s also pretty friggin cold, so bring a sweatshirt or blanket (lots of people had blankets). The donation crowd varied from line cooks to students to business professionals. The guy next to me was literally in a suit and tie.
Overall, easy money!