Availability of blood components and plasma derived medicines in Iran.

Iran is a country with advanced health care system. In 1974 government of Iran established a centralized transfusion system. Since then donations of blood may not be remunerated and therapy with blood and its components is free of charge for all Iranian patients in need of the treatment. Most of donors in Iran are educated middle age men. In 2005 Iranian donated more than 1.6 millions units of blood. Although Iran population has doubled in past three decades blood donation has increased several folds. Donations are meticulously screened through interviewing of donors and lab testing of the donations using serological methods. In contrary to blood and blood components, Iran is heavily depends on importation of plasma derived medicines. Irrational use of blood components and low surveillance on use of plasma derived medicines, which are highly subsidized by the government, is a major challenge in transfusion medicines in Iran.