Mark Gilchrist FRPharmS, Chair of the RPS Antimicrobial Expert Advisory Group (AMEAG), has today presented on penicillin allergy at the 34th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease 2024.
His presentation, “Debunking the myths around penicillin allergies: specialists raising awareness through a media campaign,” shed light on why penicillin delabelling is crucial for patient care.
His talk derives from the highly successful media campaign created through collaboration between RPS and the AMEAG in September last year, which highlighted that around 4 million people in the UK think they are allergic to penicillin, yet over 90% of patients find they do not have an allergy to it when fully assessed.
During the campaign, patients were advised to check their medical record the next time they visited their GP to ensure they were not wrongly labelled as allergic to penicillin.
The collaboration also produced a checklist for pharmacists to inform conversations with patients about penicillin allergy.
Mark’s contribution to the ECCMID marks another milestone in the ongoing efforts to promote antimicrobial stewardship and improve patient safety.
Read Mark’s blog Penicillin allergy: are you really allergic to penicillin?
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