Receipt of products
Storage Conditions, Expiration Dates, and Storage Devices
Blood components and plasma protein and related products have defined storage conditions indicated on the blood component end label or plasma protein product box and/or vial. Storage conditions for blood components are also listed in the Circular of Information. Failure to follow storage conditions may compromise and/or damage the component/product, and cause suboptimal response to the transfusion/infusion or serious patient harm.
Each blood component and plasma protein product is labeled with an expiration date. See the Circular of Information or plasma protein product package insert for more details.
Follow your blood bank/transfusion service’s standard operating procedures regarding storage, storage devices, and temperature monitoring. Reference: CSA-Z902-10 Blood and blood components.
RBC, PPP, Frozen components – 8 litres |
Platelet components – 8 litres |
Frozen components – 8 litres |
Plasma Protein Products (PPP) – 16 litres |
Shipping Containers
Canadian Blood Services uses a variety of insulated shipping containers (ISC) with phase change packing material configurations. The type of shipping container is based on the required component shipping temperature and the duration of transport.
The new ISCs and packing configurations are designed to meet the performance requirements of Canadian Blood Services' shipping routes. They have passed industry accepted pre-shipment laboratory testing and are International Safe Transit Association certified. The validated packing configurations are suitable for all seasons.
Tamper Indication DeviceEach shipping container has a tamper indication device applied after the shipping container is closed for shipment. If you receive a shipping container that is damaged or there is evidence of tampering, immediately contact your local distribution site. See Customer Letters 2013-17 and 2012-35 for more details. It is highly recommended that the destination on the shipping label/packing slip is confirmed before cutting the Tamper Indicator Device (TID). If the destination is incorrect, please inform your local distribution site immediately. The undisturbed TID allows more options for the shipment to be redirected. |
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Visual Inspection Tool
Following your facilities’ operating procedures, each component should be visually inspected. A Visual Inspection Tool is also available.
Each plasma protein product should be inspected for leaks or unusual appearance as per the package insert.
Contact your local distribution site if you have any questions about the appearance of a blood component or a plasma protein products.
Packing Slips
All blood components and plasma protein products shipped to hospitals are accompanied by a packing slip, inserted into the lid of the shipping container. In some of our locations, the plasma protein product packing slip may be placed inside the box . In most circumstances there is one packing slip for each shipping container. For plasma protein product shipments, there may be one packing slip for multiple boxes included in the shipment. The packing slip includes the name of the hospital and a list of the components/products in the shipping container. If there are any discrepancies between the packing slip (shipping address, contents) and the contents of the shipping container, including missing or extra components/products, immediately contact your local distribution site. This will ensure full traceability in the event of a recall/withdrawal or lookback/traceback.
See Customer Letter 2013-29: End Label and Packing Slip Changes, Progesa Blood Management Software Upgrade, for more details.
Plasma Protein Product Packing Slip: see Customer Letters and 2012-33 and 2007-07.