Wellness company removes £250 ‘fertility drip’ after criticism from experts
A wellness company selling a range of IV drips has removed a £250 fertility treatment and apologised after it was criticised by health experts.
Get A Drip said it had removed its fertility drip after it was accused of offering false hope to those hoping to boost their chances of conception.
While the treatment no longer appears on its list of IV vitamin drips, it remained listed on the “download menu” section of the website.
The company, which has several locations across London, also offers options including the party drip, anti-ageing drip and mood boost drip.
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas) said it was aware of a man who had been offered the drip to improve “sperm potency” on Tuesday afternoon.
Founder Richard Chambers said: “We have made the decision to remove the fertility drip effective immediately from our Get A Drip offering.
“While we standby the ingredients’ benefits, we understand that the issue of fertility is much deeper than nutrition.
“As a company, we offer health supplements that act to aid and improve overall wellness.
“We are deeply sorry for the insensitivity of the fertility drip and apologise wholeheartedly for any upset caused.”
The company said its team includes registered doctors and nurses and that customers complete medical consultations before having the drips, adding: “Every precaution is taken to ensure our customers have the best experience in a safe environment with medical professionals.”
Fertility Network UK, a charity supporting people affected by fertility issues, said that companies charging hundreds of pounds for IV vitamin drips were “exploiting their customers and offering false hope”.
The charity added: “We are pleased that this ‘fertility’ drip has now been withdrawn from sale.”
A spokeswoman for the Bpas also welcomed the removal.
Katherine O’Brien said: “This is a product lacking any evidence base, pitched at an exploitative price and playing on the fears and anxieties of women who may be struggling to conceive.”
She added: “We understand regulatory bodies are looking into these kind of products and hope these companies and their offers can be properly monitored going forward.”
The Care Quality Commission said it was looking into the matter.
A spokesman for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said: “We are aware of clinics offering intravenous nutritional therapy products and we have been in active discussions with the sector to ensure regulatory compliance.
“If clinics are intending to administer products for a medicinal purpose then the products and associated advertising must be in compliance with all relevant aspects of medicines legislation.
“If a clinic requires advice about the regulatory status of the products that they are offering, we can provide this.
“We will take appropriate action where an unlicensed medicinal product is marketed.”
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