Blood procurement is part of the transfusion service, which includes planning, collecting, processing, testing, storage, distribution, treatment and adequate supply of the population with blood and blood products as well as their marketing.
The activity of collecting and testing of blood and blood components, whatever their intended purpose, preparation, storage and distribution when intended for transfusion, is a public service performed by the transfusion institute and blood transfusion centres together with the adjoining transfusion departments in regional hospitals appointed by JAZMP and granted the relevant authorisation.
The activity of blood procurement is regulated by the Supply of Blood Act (Official gazette of RS, No 104/06), which lays down the standards of quality and safety in supplying the population with blood and blood products, and also regulates blood testing of patients and good clinical practice in treatments with blood and blood products as well as the conditions for organising the collection and testing of blood and blood components for exclusive use in autologous transfusion.
The provisions of the Supply of Blood Act do not apply to haematopoietic stem cells, which are regulated by the Act Governing the Quality and Safety of Human Tissues and Cells Used in Medical Treatment (Official gazette of RS No 61/07 and 56/15 – ZPPDČT).