BONN, Germany — Health authorities in Germany, the United States and Australia have all raised alarms about the growing wellness trend of "drip spa" infusions — intravenous vitamin and mineral drips marketed as health boosters — warning that the treatments are unproven and potentially dangerous.

Drip spas — the name blends the hospital IV drip with the idea of a wellness spa — offer customers intravenous infusions of high-dose vitamins, minerals and other substances, typically in a relaxed, lifestyle setting.

Providers market them as boosting the immune system, improving appearance and performance and supporting liver function.

But health regulators say there is no scientific evidence to support these claims, and that the treatments carry real risks.

Germany's Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), based in Bonn, issued a formal warning in May, noting that drip spa products are not approved as medicines in Germany. Under German law, medicines must pass a strict approval process demonstrating efficacy, safety and quality, as well as a positive benefit-risk ratio. Drip spa infusions have not met that bar.

The risks, the institute said, include vitamin overdose, disruption of the body's electrolyte and acid-base balance and allergic reactions up to and including anaphylactic shock. As with all infusions, incorrect administration can also cause the solution to enter surrounding tissue, or lead to air embolisms and circulatory problems.

A global and largely unregulated industry

Germany is far from alone in sounding the alarm. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning as far back as 2021 after a patient went into septic shock following an IV hydration treatment at a clinic. The FDA warned that some clinics were mixing products without proper sterilization.

Despite this, the industry has continued to boom. A study published in 2024 found that as of June that year, not a single U.S. state had enacted legislation specifically to regulate IV hydration spas, with only four states having guidance covering all key oversight areas.

In Australia, the country's health practitioner regulator, AHPRA, has warned practitioners against offering unproven IV treatments, noting that infusions containing certain substances — such as glutathione — are subject to additional legal restrictions. Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has also taken enforcement action, fining one company nearly A$160,000 for unlawfully advertising intravenous infusion products.

In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned marketing claims by several clinics promoting IV drips, including claims that the treatments could boost immunity. A doctor was also suspended from the UK medical register after selling and administering intravenous vitamin cocktails and making unsubstantiated health claims about them.'Quality and safety not established'

The core concern raised by regulators across all these countries is the same: unlike approved medicines, drip spa infusions are not subject to mandatory quality controls.

"While manufacturers of medicines for infusion must meet demonstrable quality standards, the quality and safety of infusion solutions that are not approved as medicines within the meaning of the Medicines Act has not been established," BfArM said.

Researchers writing in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association, have also raised concerns, describing the IV hydration spa sector as a rapidly growing industry operating in a regulatory gray area.

Those who wish to reduce any potential risk are advised to consult a doctor before undergoing any intravenous treatment and to ensure that any provider is a licensed medical professional operating under appropriate supervision.

©2026 dpa GmbH. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.