A federal inspection has found the Grifols plasma donation centre on Prince of Wales Drive in Regina, Saskatchewan, to be non-compliant with safety regulations. During the January 13, 2026, inspection, Health Canada discovered the clinic allowed a donor to give plasma twice in less than 48 hours. This violates federal rules that require at least a two-day gap between donations to protect the health of the person giving blood.
Inspectors also identified several other problems at the Regina facility, including failures in the quality management system and staff not following proper operating procedures. The report noted issues with equipment maintenance and the use of critical supplies that had already reached their expiry dates. This centre is one of four Grifols locations in Canada, including sites in Calgary, Saskatoon, and Saint John, that have recently failed to meet federal standards.
The findings come during a time of increased worry after two people died following donations at the company’s Winnipeg clinics in October 2025 and January 2026. While Saskatchewan allows private clinics to pay donors up to $100 per visit, the Canadian Health Coalition is now calling for all for-profit plasma centres to be shut down. The Ontario Health Coalition has also joined calls for more transparency regarding safety records and the impact of for-profit clinics on the community.
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is also asking for a formal legal inquiry into the recent deaths and the safety of the private donation model. In response to the safety concerns, Grifols updated its rules on March 9, 2026, to make the 48-hour waiting period mandatory between all donations. This update follows a 15-year agreement signed in 2022 that allowed the company to expand its paid collection sites across the country.
