Andrew Winslow

Penicillin allergy labels are common in childhood—but most are not needed. Research shows that about 96% of people labeled as allergic to penicillin are not truly allergic. Yet when these labels remain in a child’s medical record, they can limit treatment options and lead to the use of broader antibiotics that may have higher costs and cause more side effects. Removing inaccurate penicillin allergy labels can improve care.

Penicillin allergy is reported by 32 million Americans, or about 1 in 10 people. However, most of them are not actually allergic. If you’ve been told your child may have a penicillin allergy, simple allergy testing can show if they are truly allergic. As it turns out, more than 95% of children with a penicillin allergy listed in their medical chart are found not to be allergic after going through allergy testing.