Spain imports 90% of its plasma from the US because paying donors is banned

90% of Spain's plasma comes from the US because of an absurd law

How is it possible that Spain, with a public altruistic donation system, imports 90% of the plasma it needs from the United States, where donors are paid? The answer is a regulatory contradiction that comes at a high price.

Spanish law prohibits any financial compensation for donating blood or its components. The goal is noble: to prevent vulnerable people from donating out of necessity. But the practical result is that the country does not produce enough plasma to meet the demand for treatments against cancer, autoimmune diseases and haemophilia. The alternative is to import it from the US, where financial compensation is allowed and companies like Grifols —of Spanish origin— operate on a large scale. The extra cost, according to recurring estimates, can multiply the price a hundredfold.

The circle closes with Grifols, the world's largest producer of plasma derivatives. Although the company was born in Spain, the United States has turned the plasma industry into a strategic asset. The paradox is complete: Spain exports know-how and ends up buying the final product at international market price.

Behind the debate lies a tension between ethics and efficiency. Those who defend the current model point to the risks of commoditising blood: donors hiding illnesses, possible exploitation. Those who criticise it put the numbers on the table: a foreign dependence approaching 90% and a soaring cost for the healthcare system.

Meanwhile, the public system keeps buying plasma at a premium, and the discussion about whether to financially incentivise donation drags on endlessly. Coherence, clearly, is not the strong suit of Spanish regulation.

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