Full Breakdown
Grifols Halts All Canadian Plasma Collections Amid Regulatory Scrutiny
8/14/2026, 4:44:00 AM
Nationwide Pause and Immediate Triggers
For-profit plasma collector Grifols announced a voluntary suspension of donor appointments at every Canadian clinic, effective Friday. “The temporary pause will allow Grifols to work with Health Canada and Canadian Blood Services on the framework needed to support the continued development of a sustainable and robust plasma collection network in Canada,” — Thursday. Grifols The decision follows a Health Canada notice of non-compliance issued after an inspection of the Winnipeg site on Taylor Avenue.
Recent Inspection Findings
The most recent inspection, conducted on June 23, gave the Taylor Avenue clinic a non-compliant rating for failures in donor screening, equipment cleaning, and error investigation. Earlier, a March 27 medical summary noted that the death of 22-year-old donor Rodiyat Alabede was “temporally coincident” with the procedure but not caused by it, while staff training and emergency response were deemed compliant. Health Canada’s December inspection report, however, recorded that staff did not terminate Alabede’s donation after the machine displayed an alert that should have prompted an early stop.
Official Responses
Health Minister Marjorie Michel’s office said Health Canada has been working closely with Grifols to remediate deficiencies, adding new licence terms, an unannounced inspection, and a formal warning that problems could lead to suspension of operations.
Grifols maintains that donor safety and plasma quality have never been compromised and that it will resume collection “as soon as practicable.”
Advocacy Criticism
Advocates have long called for stricter oversight of paid plasma collection. Noah Schulz, provincial director of the Manitoba Health Coalition, said, “We see this pattern of poor practices.” “We see this pattern of poor practices,” — Noah Schulz, provincial director of the Manitoba Health Coalition He added that the company’s for-profit model incentivizes cost-cutting, arguing that “the Health Canada inspection reports are there. We know that there are serious problems at Grifols.” “The Health Canada inspection reports are there. We know that there are serious problems at Grifols.” — Thursday. Grifols
Katherine Lanteigne, representing Alabede’s family, welcomed the temporary closure but urged Health Canada to “immediately suspend” Grifols’ operating licences.
Data on Adverse Reactions and Compliance History
Health Canada data show 25 serious adverse reactions reported at Grifols-operated centres since 2018. The company’s clinics have received non-compliant ratings in New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Two donor deaths have been linked to Grifols clinics in Winnipeg, prompting heightened public and regulatory attention.
