New medical trial changes what we think about penicillin allergy
Researchers find most people aren’t actually allergic to penicillin
- A new study indicates that a significant number of patients recorded as having a penicillin allergy may not actually be allergic, with 92 per cent of those tested found to be negative.
- The groundbreaking trial, spearheaded by the University of Leeds and published in the Lancet Primary Care, involved 823 patients from 51 GP practices across England.
- Removing incorrect penicillin allergy labels from medical records can substantially improve patient care, help tackle antibiotic resistance, and save money for the NHS.
- The research suggests that patients who underwent allergy assessment subsequently had fewer antibiotics prescribed overall.
- Researchers recommend widening access to penicillin allergy assessments, noting their cost-effectiveness and potential to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics.