Shadi Kazeme stole drugs from employer before establishing her own hydration clinic
AN INTERN pharmacist who was fired for stealing weight loss drugs became an Uber driver and established a successful hydration clinic.
AN INTERN pharmacist who was fired for stealing weight loss drugs became an Uber driver and established a successful hydration clinic that attracts celebrity clients.
Shadi Kazeme faced court yesterday and admitted to stealing more than 80 packs of weight loss drugs and growth hormones from her former employer at South Yarra’s Como Compounding Pharmacy in Melbourne between February 2014 and June last year.
The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard she was responsible for dispensing prescription medication at the pharmacy and sent 61 packs of drugs to her home and the rest to people she knew.
The prosecutor couldn’t determine the dollar amount of what she stole because it was unknown what was in each pack.
The 28-year-old would send the drugs without a prescription or payment and used fake names to dispense them.
She lost her job and became an Uber driver before opening a controversial hydration clinic, where she gives treatment to Orange is the New Black star Ruby Rose and model Kris Smith.
The iv.me Hydration Clinic claims to be the first hydration clinic in Melbourne, to help people keep up with their busy lifestyles.
Ms Kazeme’s Instagram page is filled with photos of celebrities in her clinic chair, hooked up to an intravenous drip that is meant to hydrate people while pumping them with vitamins.
The business website claims the therapy “is the fastest way to potentially restore optimum hydration, stimulate and support the immune system”.
Bachelor stars Laurina Fleure and David Witko, health coach Brooke Meredith and Home and Away star Pia Miller are among the plethora of celebrity clients.
Ms Kazeme’s business is part of a wellbeing movement, something she had been passionate about.
In court on Monday, Ms Kazeme’s barrister Raoul Stranksy said the medication she had stolen was used for her own weight loss and “wellbeing”.
Ms Kazeme pleaded guilty to one count each of theft and attempted theft over her crimes.
Ms Kazeme charges anything between $149 and $349 per intravenous drip at her hydration clinic.
She started a chain of iv.me clinics and opened one in Darlinghurst, in Sydney’s inner-city, earlier this year.
But that clinic was closed down by NSW Health officials in February after a woman was hospitalised after visiting the clinic, which also spruiks treatments as a hangover cure.
Fairfax Media reported three weeks later the client was admitted to St Vincent’s Hospital after suffering from a fever, abdominal pains and low blood pressure.
Ms Kazeme said it was due to an unidentified manufacturer of an ingredient in the treatment.
The Melbourne clinic continues to successfully operate with celebrities and Melburnians filling Instagram with pictures of themselves under going the intravenous therapy.
The therapy is based on the “Myers cocktail”, a term made up by American physician John Myers.
He claimed an intravenous mixture of magnesium, calcium and various vitamins would be beneficial for the body.
Ms Kazeme’s business website says the treatment is the quickest way to restore hydration and replenish vitamins.
It takes between 30 and 45 minutes to receive the treatment and the website claims it will act fast and boost the body’s energy levels.
IV clinics also claim the treatment can have many other benefits, and boost immunity and improve hair, skin and nails.
Hydration clinics like Ms Kazeme’s have copped a lot of criticism from doctors.
Australia’s top doctors said earlier this year IV hydration clinics were a waste of time and money.
Monash University associate professor Ken Harvey believes the treatments don’t work.
“Why on earth would you choose to have a needle stuck in your vein? It’s pure, crazy hype, stimulated by pictures of celebrities on social media,” he said.
According to Dr Harvey, there is no “good evidence” suggesting vitamin C would help hangovers or improve hair and nails.
Following the drug theft, Ms Kazeme’s application for pharmacist registration has been suspended by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
Ms Kazeme also faces $285,000 civil action from the pharmacist she stole from in the Victorian County Court.
—With AAP
- News.com.au contacted Ms Kazeme, who declined to comment.
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