Infectious Disease

De-labelled penicillin allergies often persist in pharmacy records

February 25, 2023

1 min read

Source/Disclosures

sources:

Diaz A, et al. Abstract 349. Presented at: AAAAI Annual Meeting; Feb. 24-27, 2023; San Antonio.

Disclosures:
Diaz reports no relevant financial disclosures.

ADD TOPIC TO EMAIL ALERTS

Receive an email when new articles are posted on

Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . ” data-action=subscribe> Subscribe

We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact [email protected].

Back to Healio

SAN ANTONIO — Nearly one-third of patients who had de-labeled penicillin allergies still had such labels listed at their pharmacy, according to data presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting.

Such discrepancies signal that obstacles for de-labeling remain, despite having an effective de-labeling program, according to the researchers.

Data derived from: Diaz A, et al. Abstract 349. Presented at: AAAAI Annual Meeting; Feb. 24-27, 2023; San Antonio.

Because some labeled allergies may not be reassessed following diagnosis, “it’s important to assess if patients who carry a penicillin allergy label are truly still allergic to penicillin,” Althea Marie Diaz, MD, an allergist-immunologist at NYU Langone Long Island Hospital, said during her abstract presentation.

Past research has also associated penicillin labeling with several adverse health outcomes. For instance, in a study published last year in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, Kaminsky and colleagues found that patients with bacterial pneumonia and penicillin labels had higher risks of hospitalization, intubation and mortality.

Additionally, “patients are started on broader spectrum antibiotics, which carries an increased risk for antibiotic resistance,” Diaz said.

The researchers conducted a retrospective study using the charts of 78 patients, aged 11 years and older, who were de-labeled of their penicillin allergies based on negative skin testing and aminopenicillin oral challenges between May 2019 and May 2022.

Participating patients had their penicillin allergy removed from the clinic’s electronic medical record and received a wallet card indicating results. Researchers also delivered a confirmation receipt to both the patients’ primary care physicians and pharmacists.

Overall, 68 patients completed follow-up interviews the researchers conducted to determine de-labeling outcomes. Although 99% of the total 78 patient charts were de-labeled in the EMR, 31% still had an active penicillin allergy listed at their pharmacy.

The researchers found that 97% of interviewed patients correctly recalled now having a negative penicillin allergy result, with 44% having taken penicillin since de-labeling. Despite the negative result, 6% avoided penicillin and 4% reported unknown antibiotic use.

“[The study] demonstrates that our penicillin de-labeling protocol is effective for patients to recall that they are not allergic to penicillin,” Diaz concluded during the presentation. “However, the discrepancy in allergic status between EMR and patient pharmacies exemplifies the need to identify barriers in universally de-labeling patients.”

References:

ADD TOPIC TO EMAIL ALERTS

Receive an email when new articles are posted on

Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . ” data-action=subscribe> Subscribe

We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact [email protected].

Back to Healio

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting

Related Articles