A Health Canada inspection report has uncovered significant issues at a private plasma donation clinic operated by Grifols, including the repeated clearing of ineligible donors who posed a risk for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The regulatory agency's findings suggest these practices could compromise the safety of the blood supply.
According to the report, Grifols cleared donors at risk for a rare subtype of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a variant transmissible through blood and linked to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or "mad cow disease." In some instances, deferrals for these donors were lifted despite their continued eligibility for exclusion. This raises serious questions about the thoroughness of Grifols' donor screening protocols.
Beyond donor screening, the Health Canada report also detailed operational concerns, noting that one Winnipeg centre was operating dangerously over capacity. In at least one instance, a physician substitute was not consistently on-site during donor eligibility assessments and other procedures, a violation of safety protocols.
These findings follow reports of adverse reactions, including two deaths, at Grifols facilities in Winnipeg in late 2025 and early 2026. While Grifols stated they are addressing the identified issues and maintained that donor safety was never compromised, legal experts are calling for stronger action from Health Canada. Personal injury lawyer Gary Will suggested the agency has the power to suspend licences and lay charges, urging them to do so. Health Canada has imposed new conditions on Grifols' operations, including reducing appointment numbers to match on-site collection machine capacity, a measure intended to improve quality checks and address systemic deficiencies.
