Guidelines for assessing and managing penicillin allergy in the community

As part of a new Australian campaign commencing in late October this year, patients will be encouraged to discuss their penicillin allergy with their GP. Are you ready for that conversation?

Less than 10% of people labelled “penicillin allergic” are truly allergic when tested. A confirmed penicillin allergy can follow a patient for decades, driving unnecessary use of broader-spectrum antibiotics that are often less effective, cost more and add to the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance.

New Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) guidelines, support GPs to confidently assess and manage penicillin allergy in the community, so patients can access the right antibiotic when they need it most.

Join us for a health professional webinar presented by Clinical Professor Michaela Lucas that will cover:

• Why confirming penicillin allergy matters
• How to delabel patients in general practice
• Taking an effective allergy history, identifying low-risk patients and knowing when to refer to a specialist
• Accurately documenting drug allergy information in patient health records
• Having confident conversations with patients about penicillin allergy
• Where to find the ASCIA guidelines, e-training and supporting resources

Join us in making penicillin allergy assessment part of everyday care so that more patients can access the right antibiotic, and together we strengthen antimicrobial stewardship across the health system.

About the presenter

Clinical Professor Michaela Lucas is a Clinical Immunologist/Immunopathologist at Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital, Perth Children’s Hospital and PathWest Laboratory Medicine in Perth, Western Australia. She oversees paediatric and adult drug allergy services across two major hospitals and co-leads the National Allergy Council’s drug allergy project, through which the penicillin allergy guidelines were developed. Michaela is also a past president of ASCIA and the current Co-Chair for the Drug Allergy Stream for the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE), bringing deep clinical and leadership expertise in allergy and immunology to this session.