Question Period Note: PLASMA COLLECTION

• Many Canadians rely on plasma to treat life-threatening conditions. During the COVID-19 crisis, global demand, prices, and shortages have increased. The federal government recognizes that increasing domestic plasma sufficiency will help to provide security of supply. Budget 2021 provides Canadian Blood Services funding for the construction of eight plasma collection sites across the country.

KEY MESSAGES
• Our Government recognizes the value of domestic plasma collection for the security of Canada’s supply of plasma-derived products.
• Close federal, provincial and territorial collaboration with the national blood and plasma agency is essential to achieving meaningful results in this critical area for the health and safety of Canadians.
• Budget 2021 commits $20 million over three years beginning in 2021-22, which allows Canadian Blood Services to build eight new dedicated plasma collection sites across Canada to achieve a greater domestic supply.

Plasma-derived products (PDPs) are needed by thousands of Canadians to treat immune deficiencies, rare blood disorders, and other conditions. PDPs are manufactured from plasma through multiple processing steps. Most plasma products used worldwide are made from paid plasma donations and collected by the commercial sector. As the federal regulator, Health Canada is responsible for maintaining the safety of Canada’s blood supply and the plasma used in the production of drugs. Any establishment that collects plasma must hold a HC authorization and license, as well as meet the strict safety requirements under the Food and Drugs Act.

The need to enhance domestic plasma collection has been a long-standing issue given Canada’s dependence on paid-donor plasma from the United States. In 2019-20, Canadian Blood Services (CBS) was only able to supply 14% of the plasma needed to make PDPs used by Canadians outside of Québec.

In 2020-21, three new proof-of-concept plasma collection sites, opened by CBS over that year, raised this value to 15%. CBS is on track to open two more plasma donor centres to the public by spring 2022 and is currently determining locations for six further sites to be constructed over 2022-24; together these sites are projected to increase domestic plasma sufficiency to 22% by 2027-28. Québec operates its blood system, through Héma-Québec, separately from the other Provinces and Territories (PTs) and has already attained that value of domestic plasma supply.
The $20M Budget 2021 investment in CBS provides opportunities for Canadians, including for construction of site enhancements and necessary refurbishments, as well as high quality jobs staffing the centres. The investment will also increase domestic plasma collection capacity and security of critically important therapeutics for Canadians, and has the potential to help mitigate rising healthcare costs for PTs within a decade.

KEY FACTS
• In 2020-21, Canadian Blood Services (CBS) was only able to supply 15% of the plasma needed to make plasma-derived products used by Canadians outside of Québec. Québec operates its blood system, through Héma-Québec, separately from the other Provinces and Territories (PTs) and has already attained a greater percentage of domestic plasma supply at 22%. Prior to the pandemic, PTs, except Québec, approved three new proof-of-concept sites – CBS opened these sites in 2020-21. CBS is also on track to open two further sites to the public, in Orleans and Brampton, by spring 2022.