The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has recently warned that a significant number of people in the UK have been mistakenly diagnosed with a penicillin allergy. The Society estimates that around 6% of people in the UK are labeled as allergic to penicillin, which equates to approximately four million people.
However, upon full assessment, over 90% of patients were found not to have an allergy to it, the Society pointed out. Being labeled allergic to penicillin can lead to a “higher mortality rate” of an additional six deaths per 1000 patients in the year following treatment for infection. Therefore, patients are advised to double-check their medical records the next time they visit their GP to ensure they have not been wrongly labeled as allergic to penicillin.
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Read the full Article in Medscape UK > |
Is it time to double-check your penicillin allergy?
Many people are potentially missing out on the best antibiotic if they mistakenly believe they have an allergy to penicillin. Do you wan to know for sure if you are allergic to penicillin. Call us to schedule your penicillin allergy test at (616) 994-2770.
Why does it matter?
Penicillin-based antibiotics are safe and effective. They are what we call ‘narrow-spectrum’ antibiotics, which means they represent a minimally invasive antibiotic that can still appropriately treat your infection. In addition, this concept means penicillin medications less often foster antibiotic resistance, which can ultimately make it harder for your body to fight infections! As an added bonus, penicillin medications are cheap and even sometimes free! Learn more about our Penicillin Allergy Testing >