{"id":325797,"date":"2026-03-12T10:42:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T10:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/325797\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T10:42:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T10:42:16","slug":"why-iv-drips-are-surging-in-popularity-in-australias-wellness-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/325797\/","title":{"rendered":"Why IV drips are surging in popularity in Australia’s wellness space"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bek Walter sits in a softly lit clinic in the Gold Coast’s north while a bag of fluid slowly drips into her vein through a tube.<\/p>\n

The young mum is here for intravenous (IV) drip therapy \u2014 an increasingly popular treatment in Australia’s wellness space.<\/p>\n

She has been getting the infusions for about a decade after struggling for years with malabsorption issues.<\/p>\n

“After speaking to my GP, I felt like that was a good option for me,” she said.\"A<\/p>\n

More people are suiting convenient, fast-acting interventions. (ABC Gold Coast: Glenn Mullane)<\/p>\n

Ms Walter books in for an infusion whenever she is recovering from an illness, needs extra hydration or is feeling a bit flat.<\/p>\n

Sometimes she drops into the clinic. Other times, a mobile service comes to her door.<\/p>\n

“Instead of getting a facial or something, I feel like looking after my health from the inside out,” she said.<\/p>\n

“I definitely feel the differences.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Bek Walter says IV drips have helped with her malabsorption issues. (ABC Gold Coast: Charmayne Allison)<\/p>\n

IV drips increasingly popular<\/p>\n

IV drips have been used for decades in mainstream medicine to treat dehydration, malabsorption or clinically diagnosed nutrient deficiencies.<\/p>\n

But in recent years, they have surged in popularity in the wellness space, with celebrity endorsements from the likes of Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber fuelling demand.<\/p>\n

More clinics are advertising mobile services, bringing the drips to people’s homes and events \u2014 from corporate wellness retreats to hen’s parties.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

More IV drip clinics are opening across Australia. (ABC Gold Coast: Charmayne Allison)<\/p>\n

IV infusions commonly contain a cocktail of vitamins and minerals, often tailored for each client’s needs and injected straight into the bloodstream.<\/p>\n

It makes them a popular “quick fix” for hangovers or jet lag, with advocates also claiming they can promote clearer thinking, immunity, beauty and even anti-aging.<\/p>\n

But Luigi Fontana, a professor of medicine at the University of Sydney, said there were no robust studies to back the claims.<\/p>\n

“This does not mean benefits are impossible, but rather that they have not been demonstrated to date,” he said.\"A<\/p>\n

Clients are given a mixture of vitamins and minerals in the IV drips. (ABC Gold Coast: Charmayne Allison)<\/p>\n

‘It’s more a wellness service’<\/p>\n

Prices for the treatments typically range from $100 to $600 \u2013 although anti-aging “coenzyme” treatments can exceed $1,000.<\/p>\n

Clients often opt for monthly or even weekly sessions.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Kate Winch is a registered nurse with Inigo Cosmetic. (ABC News: Dean Caton)<\/p>\n

Kate Winch, a registered nurse at Brisbane clinic Inigo Cosmetic, said IV drip bookings had increased up to 20 per cent in the past year alone.<\/p>\n

“I think it reflects a broader shift towards more preventative health or regenerative medicines,” she said.<\/p>\n

Ms Winch said her clinic assessed clients beforehand to ensure IV drips were safe and suitable.<\/p>\n

But she said the infusions did not replace a healthy diet, regular exercise or traditional medical treatments.<\/p>\n

“It’s more a wellness service,” she said.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Vitamin IV drips have boomed in popularity in recent years. (ABC Gold Coast: Charmayne Allison)<\/p>\n

AMA says IV drips ‘rarely useful’<\/p>\n

Australian Medical Association president Danielle McMullen said IV drip therapy was “rarely useful”.<\/p>\n

“You’d be just as well off drinking a glass of water,” Dr McMullen said.\"A<\/p>\n

Danielle McMullen says infusions can carry risks. (ABC News)<\/p>\n

She said the infusions could also carry risks, including infection, allergic reactions and potentially toxic high doses.<\/p>\n

She said people should just see their GP instead.<\/p>\n

“I’d rather people were spending their time, energy and money on something that was genuinely going to help their health,” she said.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Vitamin IV drips are increasing in popularity. (ABC News: Charmayne Allison)<\/p>\n

Tight advertising regulations<\/p>\n

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) enforces tight regulations on IV drip advertising in Australia.<\/p>\n

In 2023, the TGA handed Drip IV Australia a $160,000 fine<\/a> for describing the infusions as “miraculous” and making claims about cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.<\/p>\n

GPs ration care as they fight wellness companies for IV fluid<\/a><\/p>\n

Doctors say they’ve been forced to ration care as sourcing the essential medicine continues to prove a challenge.<\/p>\n

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has also spoken out in recent years, warning the wellness industry to stop “inappropriately” marketing IV drips.<\/p>\n

“The medical justification and scientific evidence for them has not kept pace with their marketing,” an agency spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) also raised the alarm in late 2024, saying doctors were competing with wellness clinics<\/a> for access to IV fluids during a global shortfall.<\/p>\n

While the shortage has since resolved, the RACGP said IV drips remained a form of “low-value care”.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Clients are medically assessed before receiving an IV drip. (ABC Gold Coast: Glenn Mullane)<\/p>\n

‘You should be asking questions’<\/p>\n

Sitting in the Gold Coast clinic, Ms Walter said she was already feeling better after her IV drip.<\/p>\n

“I’m not the greatest at drinking enough water, so the hydration is great, and the added vitamins,” she said.<\/p>\n

However, she understood some would be sceptical.<\/p>\n

“I think you should be asking questions, especially around healthcare or anything to do with wellness,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Make sure where you’re going is reputable \u2026 and they are actually doing what they’re saying they’re going to do.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bek Walter sits in a softly lit clinic in the Gold Coast’s north while a bag of fluid…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":325798,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[134,527,175698,111,139,69,175701,175699,175697,175700,175696],"class_list":{"0":"post-325797","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-healthcare","10":"tag-iv-drip","11":"tag-new-zealand","12":"tag-newzealand","13":"tag-nz","14":"tag-vitamin-drip-therapy","15":"tag-vitamin-infusion","16":"tag-vitamin-intravenous-therapy","17":"tag-vitamin-iv","18":"tag-vitamin-iv-drip-therapy"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=325797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325797\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/325798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=325797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=325797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=325797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}