Grifols has temporarily paused plasma collections at its 17 private clinics in Canada after two donors died following donations and Health Canada opened a new investigation into potential unsafe practices.
The Spanish healthcare company, Canada’s only private plasma-clinic operator, told Health Canada of the voluntary pause on Wednesday, the same day the agency issued a formal notice of non-compliance for failures to follow blood regulations, according to a senior official.
What Health Canada found
Health Canada said the two deaths occurred after plasma donations in October 2025 and January 2026. Both donors were in Manitoba and reportedly went into “distress” while donating. The agency said in March that it found no link between one donor’s death and plasma donation; an autopsy recorded cardiac arrest shortly after the donation.
Inspection reports from May identified deficiencies at Grifols clinics, including inadequate staff training, failures in standard operating procedures, poor record-keeping and a failure to resolve earlier problems. Inspectors also found that staff did not stop collections when alarms sounded and described company reporting as “incomplete” and “inaccurate”.
Why the pause is under scrutiny
Patient advocates have called for a new inquest into one death, alleging significant discrepancies between the autopsy and a Health Canada medical summary. They have also raised concerns about whether the donor was properly screened. These allegations remain part of the calls for further investigation; Health Canada has not released the donors’ identities.
On Friday, Health Canada said it had found “various deficiencies” specifically at Grifols’ Taylor Avenue location in Winnipeg. The company said it had paused collections “proactively and voluntarily” over what it called unfounded attention, and that it would work with Health Canada and Canadian Blood Services.
What donors and patients should know
Before the pause, Grifols allowed donations twice a week and paid donors up to C$100 per donation. Plasma collection uses an apheresis machine to separate plasma from blood and return the remaining blood to the donor; Canadian Blood Services says the process takes about 90 minutes.
Plasma is used to help move blood components through vessels and to make medicines for conditions including haemophilia, liver disease and some cancers. Grifols said the pause would not affect the safety or security of Canada’s blood and plasma supply, while the Taylor Avenue clinic said it was working toward returning to operations.
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