As industry giant Grifols, a Spanish multinational pharmaceutical company, has done with its dangerous new agreement. This agreement with Canadian Blood Services covers the compensation of plasma donors across all of Canada. This recent development has health advocates and those impacted by the historical tainted blood crisis understandably concerned. Too many Canadians are still paying the price with their health as a consequence.
As part of the new deal, plasma donors will be paid for their donations. Others are quick to point out that this practice puts the Canadian blood system—which safeguards volunteer blood donors—at risk. Curtis Brandell, president of the British Columbia chapter of the Canadian Hemophilia Society, tells Tyee that he is “gravely concerned” about this setup. Brandell is concerned that taking these payments for plasma donations would make the same mistakes. Contaminated blood has a known history of infecting numerous recipients with HIV and Hepatitis C among other infectious diseases.
Brandell’s apprehensions are personal. He recalls how two of his uncles suffered from hemophilia, a genetic disorder that hinders normal blood clotting. Their journeys through the contaminated blood crisis of the 1980s act as a stark warning. Their new commentary further underscores the dangers with which we source our blood products.
With this settlement, we are endangering the entire Canadian blood system from across,” explains Brandell.
For every concern raised, there is someone who believes the case for paying plasma donors is worth making. Pamela Stoikopoulos is a Toronto mom of three, including triplets. She fights a rare autoimmune disorder and is a fierce advocate for compensated donations. Like millions of other patients, she depends on immunoglobulin treatments made from pooled plasma donations to sustain her quality of life.
Stoikopoulos recognizes that keeping an entirely voluntarily plasma supply poses its difficulties in Canada. “I’m comfortable with the arrangement and with paying Canadian donors instead. An all-voluntary supply for plasma in Canada is entirely unrealistic,” she asserts.
The debate surrounding paid plasma donations revolves around the balance between ensuring a reliable supply of life-saving treatments and maintaining ethical standards in blood donation practices. Grifols has been taking aggressive steps as part of our commitment to meeting the increasing demand for plasma-derived products. Critics warn that this approach could undermine public confidence in the Canadian blood system.
The deal between Grifols and Canadian Blood Services is still developing. Stakeholders are still working to address its impacts for patients depending on these treatments and for the future Canadian health care landscape as a whole. As this conversation continues, it is important to consider the complexities of foreign sourcing of medical products, as safety and ethical considerations should always be at the forefront.
