A plasma collection company that pays people for donations has temporarily paused collections at its clinics across Canada, including Calgary, following the deaths of two donors at two separate Winnipeg locations, on October 2025 and January 2026. Health Canada has not linked either death to plasma donations. Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare, called the pause a positive step but said more needs to be done to address safety concerns. “No one has ever died donating plasma until now. This should be a huge red flag and a moment to say, wait, this is the wrong approach,” Gallaway said. Grifols has also faced scrutiny over several Health Canada non-compliance notices. A December 2025 notice involving the Calgary clinic cited concerns including donor suitability assessments and the cleaning and maintenance of critical equipment. Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said the province has reviewed its processes and believes the plasma supply is safe. Plasma is used to make life-saving protein therapies and cannot be manufactured in a laboratory, making donations critical to the supply. Dr. Bryan Tordon, a transfusion medicine specialist and clinical assistant professor at the University of Calgary, said Canada remains reliant on paid plasma donations and has historically imported about 80 to 90 per cent of its plasma-fractionated products from the United States. Canadian Blood Services says the temporary pause will not affect the availability of plasma-derived products. Friends of Medicare is calling for a return to a voluntary plasma donation model, saying the priority should be protecting donors and the healthcare system.
