BROWN Thomas has defended offering IV vitamin drip treatments at his new Dundrum store for up to €950, despite serious concerns raised by doctors and scientists about possible health risks.
The company K Get A Drip is an independent operator that provides the service to the new 12 million euros Thomas Brown, in Dundrum Shopping Centre, Dublin. Clients can make appointments to receive ‘booster shots’ and IV drips, which are claimed to provide anti-aging, detoxifying and moisturizing benefits.
A company spokesperson said it “provides an alternative, more efficient and cost-effective way for people to supplement their diet to meet the extensive list of vitamins and minerals needed to maintain optimal body function.”
They further stated that since the drips are not administered in a hospital setting, “there is a much lower risk of pathogenic bacteria.”
Meanwhile, Brown Thomas said he has received a “great reaction” from buyers.
However, health experts including GPs, nutritionists and scientists have condemned the service, with some describing it as “pseudoscience” and “very expensive urine”.
Cork-based doctor Dr Trish Horgan said the medical community is “appalled” by a retailer offering such treatments.
“Every process and every procedure carries risk and that is why as GPs we outline the pros and cons of each procedure,” he said. Independiente.es.
“Who is the target audience here? When they call it treatment, it suggests that there is a diagnosis and that an abnormality has been detected. Who is in charge of this? Brown Thomas is not the right environment to pierce someone’s vein and it is not without risk.”
Scientist Dr. David Robert Grimes described it as a “terrible idea” and highlighted how people in the past have died after vitamin infusions, including former Playboy model Janna Rasskazova.
“If you have a medically diagnosed vitamin deficiency, then the right person to correct it is a doctor in a doctor’s office, not someone in a department store.
“Brown Thomas is a trusted retailer and we have already seen during the pandemic how the public with a poor understanding of science and medicine has had dire consequences.
“I have seen these drips thrown at cancer patients in the past, who are at great risk if they have a faulty IV. It can be potentially harmful. Social media influencers have been pushing it and it’s all a bit middle class.”
The Get a Drip website claims that it has administered more than 35,000 IV vitamin drips and booster shots from its premium locations in London and Dublin.
He said the clinics are recognized by the UK Department of Health and their medical staff are doctors registered with the Irish Medical Council or registered nurses with the Irish Board of Nursing and Midwifery.
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The Brown Thomas store in Dundrum, Dublin.
Some of the drips offered include a detox drip for €140, an anti-aging drip for €225 and an “unlimited drip” for €950.
Dr Ray Walley, Clinical Associate Professor of General Practice at University College Dublin, said vitamin drops could cause “significant harm” if given to the wrong person.
Orla Walsh, a dietitian at the Dublin Nutrition Centre, said intravenous drops should be used as a “last resort” when it comes to improving people’s access to nutrition.
She told RTÉ Today with Claire Byrne: “As for what is offered, it is saline, it is water and the idea is to improve hydration. But you can do it orally and you can do it for 24 hours and it’s significantly cheaper.
“There’s also a big increase in saline bags. They have added vitamins and nutrients, but a lot of them are what we call water-soluble, meaning if our body had enough of it, it would urinate out the excess. It makes the urine more very expensive”.
He warned that some nutrient packets contain potassium and could be potentially fatal to someone who has a high level of potassium in their body.
“So there is a risk when you put a needle in the arm. Here too there are potentially serious risks and the reward for the risk is simply not there because there is no evidence to say there is a reward,” she added.
Richard Chambers, founder and CEO of Get A Drip, said the company has offered services globally with “no adverse effects.”
The company has three medical directors in three countries, five registered physicians, 21 registered nurses, four nutritionists, a pharmacist, and a dietitian.
“In Ireland, registered nurses are giving [the services] under a prescription from the medical director and also from the registered doctor, who is also a GP in Ireland,” he told RTÉ Radio 1.
“(The service) is now available in private healthcare practices in Ireland and the UK. We are offering it (service) to everyone, not just a few who have money.”
He disagreed that the drops are potentially dangerous, saying the company conducts a full medical evaluation in which customers must answer 40 questions in a medical questionnaire.
When asked about the prices charged, he said it was justifiable as they have to cover the cost of rent, insurance, the cost of hiring medical professionals, and the general costs of running a business.
In a statement, Brown Thomas said: “While the treatments offered by Get A Drip are relatively new to Ireland and Brown Thomas, they have been available in retail settings in the US and UK for quite some time.
“The information about the treatments is provided by qualified professionals and all clients who avail themselves of the service will be fully evaluated to determine their suitability for said services before each treatment.
“Following the opening of the Dundrum store last Thursday, we have had a great reaction from customers which has matched the demand for this service in other markets.”
Get A Drip claimed that research has shown that oral supplements are often full of fillers that are unhealthy, while the substances it manufactures and provides “absolutely no fillers or additives.”
However, members of the Irish Institute of Nutrition and Dietetics (INDI) have “serious concerns” and said intravenous infusions are not necessary for health.
“There is no medical need for a healthy person to receive intravenous (IV) vitamins and minerals,” a spokesman said.
“Get your nutritional requirements through food and oral vitamin supplements (eg, in certain cases as folic acid for women of childbearing age and vitamin D due to our latitude on the planet and the lack of direct sunlight in the months winter) is the preferred method and the way our bodies are designed to function.
“Providing these services at such inflated prices in a department store may seem like something to aspire to, but it’s not.”
