IV drips in Singapore, what a licensed clinic can offer

What the rules say about IV drips

A clinic in Singapore must be licensed under the Healthcare Services Act 2020 [1]. The Ministry of Health sets licence conditions under the Act that define a Non-Evidence Based Medical Treatment as one with little or no research showing that it achieves its intended outcome, and that name specific treatments, including the ones below [2]. A drip that is missing from the list falls under the same definition when there is little or no research showing that it works for its purpose [2].

A licensed clinic may give a treatment on that list only as part of approved human biomedical research, a clinical trial of a health product or salvage therapy when other treatment has failed, and only through a registered doctor. A clinic that breaches the conditions can have its licence suspended or revoked, or be directed to pay a financial penalty [2].

• IV vitamin B or C to treat shingles, to boost immunity during chemotherapy, or to rehydrate after fever and diarrhoea.
• IV glutathione to treat fatigue.
• Hormones given into a vein, such as testosterone, oestrogen or thyroid hormone, for cognitive decline, weight gain, osteoporosis, skin ageing, fibromyalgia or sleep problems.
• Chelation therapy given to unblock the arteries of the heart.

What doctors in Singapore are asked to do

The Singapore Medical Council Ethical Code, in force since 1 January 2017, asks doctors to treat patients only by generally accepted methods, based on the balance of available evidence. A treatment that is not generally accepted may be offered only within a formal and approved clinical trial, with a narrow exception for a desperate situation where usual treatment has not helped [3].

In a written answer to Parliament on 5 May 2026, the Minister for Health said that the Act and the code both require safe, rational and evidence-based treatment, and that a provider who falls short may face penalties that include imprisonment and fines. The ministry refers a doctor who does not follow the code to the Council [1].

When a drip is the right treatment

A drip is ordinary medicine when there is a medical reason for it. Fluids are given into a vein for dehydration, salt imbalances and shock, and antibiotics and blood are given the same way. Homage, a home care provider, states that IV treatment must be prescribed and is given only when there is a clinical need [4].

Iron is one example a GP clinic may give by drip. New Path Medical & Aesthetics, a GP clinic, gives IV iron to people aged 16 and over whose blood test shows low ferritin and whose iron tablets caused side effects or did not work [5]. It publishes about S$530 for a 500 mg dose and about S$1,000 for 1,000 mg, including GST, and the infusion takes about 30 to 45 minutes [5]. The doctor works out the dose from your ferritin, haemoglobin and weight, and the clinic notes that IV iron at a GP clinic cannot currently be claimed from MediSave [5].

If a doctor has prescribed an infusion to continue at home, a qualified nurse from a home care provider can give it there [4].

What the evidence says about wellness drips

The Myers' cocktail, a mix of vitamins and minerals given by drip, was tested at Yale in 34 adults with fibromyalgia against a placebo drip of salt solution. Both groups felt better, and the trial found no statistically significant difference between them at 8 or 16 weeks [6]. It was a small pilot study, so it cannot settle the question either way.

Homage notes that there is little evidence that the benefit of IV vitamins outweighs the risk, and lists the risks of any drip, which include an infected cannula site, an inflamed vein, fluid leaking into the tissue and fluid overload in people with heart or kidney disease [4]. If the reason for a drip is tiredness, a blood test to find the cause is a better first step. Homage also notes that IV treatment usually takes more time and costs more than the same treatment by mouth [4].

Five questions to ask before a drip

A licensed clinic will answer each of these plainly.

• What is the medical reason for this drip, and which test confirmed it?
• Would tablets or a drink do the same job?
• Is the clinic licensed under the Healthcare Services Act?
• Who places the line, and who watches me during the infusion?
• Which test will show whether it worked?

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