Grifols, which provides paid plasma donation services, has decided to temporarily suspend plasma collection at all its clinics in Canada. The decision followed the deaths of two donors after adverse reactions during plasma donations at separate clinics in Winnipeg, along with growing public pressure on the company.
The suspension will begin on Friday. Grifols said it plans to resume operations as soon as possible in coordination with Health Canada and Canadian Blood Services.
Winnipeg clinic receives non-compliance notice
Grifols notified Health Canada of the decision on Wednesday. On the same day, the agency issued a non-compliance notice to a clinic in Winnipeg.
Health Canada found that the clinic had not adequately implemented the necessary corrective and preventive measures. The inspection determined that some procedures were not being followed regularly and that records concerning the assessment of staff qualifications, training and competency were at times inadequate.
25 serious reactions since 2018
Federal data showed that 25 serious adverse reactions had been recorded at centers operated by Grifols since 2018. The deaths of the two donors occurred before the company decided to suspend collection activities at all its clinics in Canada.
Noah Schulz, a member of the Manitoba Health Coalition, which has joined calls for a ban on paid plasma donations, said the practices presented a troubling picture. Schulz argued that the company’s profit-driven model created pressure to operate at the lowest possible cost.
Grifols, however, said that donor safety and the quality of the plasma it collects had never been compromised. The company described the concerns about paid plasma collection as unfounded.