In reply: Turner and Farrugia highlight important issues about the safety and supply of Australia’s blood and plasma that constituted key findings of the recent Australian Government review of Australia’s plasma fractionation arrangements.1 These included the desirability of self-sufficiency and the need for a viable contingency plan in the event of local supply failing to meet demand, in the context of probable increased uncertainty in relevant security and supply circumstances.
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- 1. Flood P, Wills P, Lawler P, et al. Review of Australia’s plasma fractionation arrangements. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2006. http://www.donateblood.com.au/admin%5Cfile%5 Ccontent1%5Cc5%5Creport-dec06.pdf (accessed Mar 2007).
- 2. Jones RP, Prasad V, Kuruvatti J, et al. Remuneration for blood donation and attitudes towards blood donation and receipt in Leeds. Transfus Med 2003; 13: 131-140.
Hilary Bambrick is related to Philip Flood, Chairman of the Plasma Fractionation Review Committee. He has had no input into this letter. Thomas Faunce is Project Director of an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant investigating the impact of international trade agreements on Australian medicines policy. The ARC was not consulted about the preparation of this letter.