Brown Thomas has defended an IV vitamin drip service available at its newly-opened store in Dundrum Town Centre following criticism of the Get A Drip service by nutritionists, GPs and other medical professionals."
The luxury department store opened the shop, following a €12 million investment, at the south Dublin shopping centre on Friday.
Among the services on offer, in addition to the usual fashion, tech and beauty products, are vitamin drips and booster shots that aim to "optimise your day-to-day wellbeing".
Get A Drip operates independently at locations across Ireland and the UK and employs medical staff including chief medical officers, doctors, nurses and a pharmacist.
Brown Thomas says of the service being offered in Dundrum: "IV Nutrition Therapy is a great way to give your body a boost, with a multitude of positive uses - from correcting vitamin deficiencies to ensuring general wellbeing. Receiving Vitamins via an IV Drip or Booster Shot means that all nutrients bypass the gut and any absorption issues, making them 100% bioavailable for your body to use. This makes it a highly effective way of receiving essential nutrients."
The price of a 'basic hydration' IV drip is €85, with an 'NADH drip' topping the list at €390.
There are also two 'premium IV drips' available for €500 and €950.
The booster injection shots range in price from €35 to €85.
After the new Brown Thomas store opened, medics across the country voiced their scepticism on social media over the benefits of IV vitamin drips.
One nursing student said: "If you're considering getting IV Vitamins from Brown Thomas of all places, could I interest you in simply eating more fruit."
Nutritionist Niamh O'Connor said the service was "a disgrace".
In a statement, Brown Thomas said all customers who avail of the service "will be fully assessed" and the treatment will be provided by medical professionals.
A spokesperson told the Irish Mirror: "Get A Drip is an independent operator that provides the service at Brown Thomas Dundrum.
"While the treatments offered by Get A Drip are relatively new to Ireland and Brown Thomas, they have been available in retail environments in the United States and the UK for quite some time.
"Information on the treatments are provided by qualified professionals and all customers who avail of the service will be fully assessed for their suitability for such services before every treatment.
"Following the opening of the Dundrum store last Thursday, we have a great reaction from customers that has matched demand for this service in other markets."
Richard Chambers, founder and CEO of Get A Drip, said the company has been operating since 2017 and has delivered 40,000 services "with nil adverse effects".
"We have three chiel medical officers across three countries, five registered doctors, 21 registered nurses, four nutritional therapists, a pharmacist and a dietician," he told RTE's Today with Claire Byrne programme.
Registered nurses under a prescription from the CMO and a registered doctor will be administering the drips in Ireland, he explained.
He added that an instant vitamin D blood test is done on site with results in 15 minutes to ensure people are screened before receiving the IV or booster.
They will also have to fill out a full medical questionnaire, which details the potential contraindications and who may not be eligible for the drip.
