7 Questions to Ask Before You Let Anyone Put an IV in Your Arm

An IV is a medical procedure, not a beauty service. The wrong clinician, the wrong solution, or the wrong technique can hurt you. The right one is safe, effective, and over before you finish your podcast. Save this list. Screenshot it. Ask these 7 questions before you let anyone put an IV in your arm.

Instagram-share line: Save this for the next time someone offers you an IV. Seven questions a real IV clinic should be able to answer in under a minute each. If they can't, find one that can.

Why These 7 Questions Matter

Most IV adverse events in Canada are preventable. They happen when an undertrained person inserts a needle, when a non-clinical setting lacks emergency preparedness, or when a patient receives a drip they should not have. None of that is hidden in the small print. It shows up in a 60-second pre-booking conversation if you ask the right questions.

This is the same checklist our Safety Verified badge is built on. Use it whether or not the clinic carries the badge.

Question 1: Who Will Be Inserting My IV, And What Is Their License?

The correct answer names a profession and a registration college. Examples:

"A registered nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario, registration number 12345."
"A naturopathic doctor with the College of Naturopaths of Ontario who holds the IV Infusion authorization."
"A registered nurse with the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives, current registration."

Wrong answers include:

"Our trained aesthetician."
"Our injectables technician."
"Our wellness coach."

If you cannot get a profession and a college on the first ask, walk away.

Question 2: Where Is The Solution Sourced, And Is It Health Canada Approved?

The IV bag in your arm should be a Health Canada licensed product. Saline, vitamin C, B-complex, magnesium, and other commonly compounded ingredients must come from licensed Canadian pharmacies. Compounded blends must be prepared in a licensed compounding pharmacy or in a licensed practitioner setting under appropriate authorization.

A reputable clinic answers with the supplier name (often a major compounding pharmacy) without hesitation. They should not refuse the question.

Pay specific attention if you are getting peptides (BPC-157, semaglutide, GHK-Cu, or similar). The 2023 Health Canada peptide advisory specifically warned about unauthorized peptide products. If a clinic offers peptides, they should be able to name the licensed source.

Question 3: Will There Be A Medical Director Or Physician Available?

In some Canadian provinces and for some IV products (especially NAD+ and high-dose vitamin C), a medical director relationship is required or strongly recommended. The clinic should be able to name:

A medical director if one is involved in the practice.
An emergency referral protocol to a nearby medical clinic or emergency department.
A consulting physician for unusual cases.

This is not paperwork theater. It is the safety net when something unexpected happens during infusion.

Question 4: What Will You Do If I Have An Adverse Reaction?

The right answer covers four things:

Recognition. "We monitor you throughout the infusion. If you experience any reaction, we stop the infusion immediately."
Anaphylaxis kit. "We have an anaphylaxis kit on premises, including epinephrine, with trained staff."
Vein and infiltration management. "If we see infiltration or vein irritation we remove the IV and treat per protocol."
Emergency escalation. "If you require emergency care we call 911 and refer to [specific nearby hospital]."

A clinic that has not thought through this question with this level of specificity is a clinic that has not prepared for the actual risks of IV therapy.

Question 5: Will You Run Labs Or Take A History Before Treatment?

Hydration drips for healthy adults do not require labs. Higher-impact infusions do.

Iron infusion: A full iron panel within the past 12 months is the minimum.
NAD+ IV (large doses): Kidney and liver function panels are appropriate.
High-dose vitamin C IV: G6PD deficiency screening is mandatory in some protocols.
Any IV for someone with a chronic condition: A relevant labs review.

A clinic that runs no labs and asks no clinical questions before infusion is operating commerce, not medicine. That is not always dangerous for low-impact drips, but it is a yellow flag for higher-impact ones.

Question 6: What Does Informed Consent Look Like?

Real informed consent is:

Written.
Names the specific IV product being administered, including doses.
Discusses common risks (vein irritation, infiltration, electrolyte imbalance, allergic reaction).
Discusses uncommon but serious risks (anaphylaxis, vascular access complications).
Signed by you, not just initialed.
Reviewed verbally with you, with time to ask questions, before the IV is inserted.

A clinic that hands you a tablet with one paragraph and asks for a signature is a clinic that has not given you informed consent. They have given you a liability waiver. Those are not the same thing.

Question 7: Are You Insured For IV Practice, And Can You Show It?

Professional liability insurance for IV practice is a basic requirement for any Canadian IV clinic operating legitimately. A clinic should be able to tell you:

They carry professional liability insurance.
The insurance covers IV scope of practice.
The insurance is held by the practicing clinician or their employer.

You do not need to see the certificate. The clinic should not refuse to acknowledge it.

The Bonus Question (Use Sparingly)

If you really want to test a clinic, ask: "What is the most common adverse event you have seen at this clinic, and how did you handle it?"

A real clinic with a real safety culture will answer honestly. Maybe "we have had a few patients experience light-headedness during NAD+ infusion, which we manage by slowing the infusion." Or "we have had two minor infiltrations in 18 months, which we managed with warm compresses and follow-up."

A clinic that says "nothing has ever happened" is either new or not paying attention. Both are reasons to keep looking.

Why We Built This Checklist

We run TheDripMap, Canada's IV therapy directory. We see how many clinics are operating in Canada (over 480 across the country in 2026), how many publish their licensing prominently (around half), and how many have published safety protocols (a small minority).

We are rolling out a Safety Verified badge in 2026 that requires clinics to prove against the criteria above before they can display it. In the meantime, ask these 7 questions yourself. Five minutes of friction on the front end is worth a lot more than dealing with a bad outcome on the back end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it rude to ask these questions before booking? No. A real IV clinic expects these questions from informed patients. The clinics that find them rude are usually the ones who would rather you not ask.

What if a clinic refuses to answer? That is your answer. Find another clinic. There are over 480 IV therapy clinics in Canada. You have options.

Should I screenshot this list and bring it with me? Yes. We built it to be screenshot-ready. Take it with you for any first appointment.

Where can I find IV clinics that have answered these questions in advance? Use TheDripMap.com. We are publishing Safety Verified profiles through 2026 for clinics that prove their licensing, sourcing, medical director, emergency preparedness, informed consent, and insurance.