‘Dr Drips’ who sold quack Covid remedies suspended
AN NHS doctor who branded herself “Dr Drips” and sold “quack remedies” claiming to protect patients from Covid has been suspended.
Dr Nimra Arshad, 29, offered IV infusions on Instagram, claiming that they would help treat various diseases including anaemia, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. Dr Arshad claimed her IV treatments would strengthen the immune system, lead to quick weight loss, boost athletic performance and even help with pregnancy fatigue.
One social media post read: “We cover all medical conditions. We can tailor-make the IV drips to help with any medical conditions that you guys are suffering from. Absorption is 90 per cent so you are guaranteed to see results within two to three days.”
Another post read: “Vitamin C to boost your immune system is great for the elderly! Helps protect them from coronavirus! With cases increasing, we urge everyone to calm down and take some vitamin C. You can build up your immunity with our vitamin C IV drip.”
Dr Arshad, from Salford, Greater Manchester, was reported to the General Medical Council (GMC) in March 2021 after concerns were raised about the efficacy of her medications.
Prof Kevin O’shaughnessy, emeritus professor in clinical pharmacology at Cambridge University, who compiled a report on Dr Arshad’s Instagram page, said her posts were “unquestionably misleading and exploitative in the context of the recent pandemic”.
Dr Arshad said a social media content creator she hired had posted the offending messages after trawling Google and American websites for information. No patients came to any harm.
Dr Arshad was suspended from medical practice for three months after being found guilty of serious professional misconduct. The panel found she knowingly allowed four fake posts to be published.
Dr Drips was dissolved in 2022 and the Instagram page taken down.