Grifols launches a continuing education program for transfusion medicine professionals in the United States

Barcelona, June 23, 2014. Grifols, a leading company in the production of plasma-derived biological therapies and transfusion medicine, has launched a continuing education program for professionals in this field in the United States.

The program is coordinated by the new Grifols Immunohematology Center with headquarters in the city of San Marcos, Texas, and will be developed over the next few years in order to attend to various target audiences and their learning objectives relating to different aspects of transfusion medicine.

The program uses different formats and teaching methods. The Transfusion Science Educational Course (TSEC) is one of the three course formats; it combines current theoretical content with interactive workshops for resolving serological cases. The course format is intended for blood bank laboratory staff, hospital transfusion services, and immunohematology reference laboratories. The second course format covers complex theoretical topics and is particularly intended for physicians and residents that specialize in transfusion medicine and for medical directors of blood banks. Finally, the third course format is intended for laboratory technicians where participants can attend theoretical classes and alternate with "hands on" practical exercises in the laboratory at the Grifols Immunohematology Center, in Texas.

Grifols education program has been endorsed by PACE (Professional Acknowledgement for Continuing Education) which guarantees the quality of training programs in the United States. Grifols maintains a strong commitment to education and encourages continuous improvement by implementing different projects for transfusion medicine professionals to develop their careers.

About Grifols

Grifols is a global healthcare company with a 70-year legacy of improving people's health and well being through the development of life-saving plasma medicines, diagnostics systems, and hospital pharmacy products.

The company is present in more than 100 countries worldwide and is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. Grifols is a leader in plasma collection with a network of 150 plasma donor centers in the U.S., and a leading producer of plasma-derived biological medicines. The company also provides a comprehensive range of transfusion medicine, hemostasis, and immunoassay solutions for clinical laboratories, blood banks and transfusion centers, and is a recognized leader in transfusion medicine.

In 2013, sales exceeded 2,740 million euros with a headcount of 13,200 employees. Grifols demonstrates its commitment to advancing healthcare by allocating a significant portion of its annual income to R&D.

The company's class A shares are listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange, where they are part of the Ibex-35 (MCE:GRF).  Its non-voting class B shares are listed on the Mercado Continuo (MCE:GRF.P) and on the U.S. NASDAQ via ADRs (NASDAQ: GRFS). For more information visit www.grifols.com.