Medication list

MEDICATION LIST
SOME MEDICATIONS MAY AFFECT YOUR ELIGIBILITY TO DONATE BLOOD.
PLEASE TELL US IF YOU.
Are being treated with the
and are taking or have
which is also
following types of
in the last.
ever taken.
medications.
Anti-platelet agents
(usually taken to prevent
stroke or heart attack)
Anticoagulants or “blood
thinners” (usually taken to
prevent clots in the lungs or
Acne treatment
Hair loss remedy
Prostate symptoms
Psoriasis
Hepatitis exposure
Experimental Medication or Unlicensed (Experimental) Vaccine
Growth hormone from human pituitary glands*
Insulin from Cows (Bovine or Beef Insulin) manufactured in the United
Kingdom*
* No longer available in US
Donors should not discontinue medications prescribed or recommended by their physicians in order to
donate blood. If you would like to know more about why these medications affect you as a blood donor, please
turn this page over.
DHQ R 01/2012
MEDICATION LIST
Some medications affect your eligibility as a blood donor, for the following reasons:
Anti-platelet agents affect platelet function so people taking these drugs should not donate platelets for the
indicated time; however, their use does not affect whole blood donation.
Anticoagulants or "blood thinners" used to treat or prevent blood clots in the legs or lungs. These
medications affect the blood’s ability to clot, which might cause excessive bruising or bleeding when you
donate.
Isotretinoin, finasteride, dutasteride acitretin and etretinate can cause birth defects. Your donated blood
could contain high enough levels to damage the unborn baby if transfused to a pregnant woman. Once the
medication has been cleared from your blood, you may donate again. Following the last dose, the deferral
period is one month Proscar, Propecia and Accutane, six months for Avodart and three years for Soriatane.
Tegison is a permanent deferral.
Growth hormone from human pituitary glands was prescribed for children with delayed or impaired growth.
The hormone was obtained from human pituitary glands, which are found in the brain. Some people who took
this hormone developed a rare nervous system condition called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD, for short). The
deferral is permanent.
Insulin from cows (bovine, or beef, insulin) is an injected material used to treat diabetes. If this insulin was
imported into the US from the United Kingdom in which bovine spongiform encephalopathy (“Mad Cow
Disease”) has been found, it could contain material from infected cattle. Although no cases have been observed
from injected insulin, there is concern that "Mad Cow Disease" is transmitted by transfusion. The deferral is
indefinite.
Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (HBIG) is an injected material used to prevent infection following an exposure
to hepatitis B. HBIG does not prevent hepatitis B infection in every case, therefore persons who have received
HBIG must wait 12 months to donate blood to be sure they were not infected since hepatitis B can be
transmitted through transfusion to a patient.
Experimental Medication or Unlicensed (Experimental) Vaccine is usually associated with a research
protocol and the effect on blood donation is unknown. Deferral is one year unless otherwise indicated by
Medical Director.

Source: http://nybloodcenter.org/media/filer_public/2013/05/23/medication-english.pdf