The Circular of Information: A wealth of information
What is the first thing you do when you open a package of medication? Hopefully, you read the package insert/product monograph first, so that you are aware of important information about the drug that you are about to use.
The Canadian Blood Services Circular of Information is an extension of the blood component label. It provides information regarding component composition, packaging, storage and handling, indications, warnings and precautions, adverse events, dose and administration, and other important information about the blood component.
There are separate Circulars of Information for each of our blood component groupings: Red Blood Cells, Platelets, Plasma, and Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells. They conform to the applicable regulations issued by the Health Products and Food Branch of Health Canada.
The Circular of Information is updated whenever new information becomes available. Hospital customers will be informed by a customer letter whenever an update is available.
If you have not read the Circular of Information lately, I encourage you to click the link above and read the latest versions. Or go to www.blood.ca, click Hospitals in the banner, then go to Products.
If you have not already done so, consider making copies of the Circular of Information available to your hospital’s physicians and nurses.