Skip to main content
;

Penicillin allergy in general practice

A woman sits across from a person holding a folder in an office setting, possibly discussing something. A computer and medical equipment are in the background.
  1. Home
  2. For Health Professionals
  3. Penicillin allergy in general practice: why it’s worth a second look

General Practice

Primary care is often the first place people go to talk about their health concerns and medications. People often develop an ongoing, trusted relationship with their GP and are therefore well placed to discuss patient concerns around antibiotic allergies and testing.

Access to specialist allergy services can be limited, so GPs can help bridge this gap by identifying which patients are likely to be at low risk of having a penicillin allergy, arranging testing and updating medical records. Patients who are considered to be at higher-risk of having a penicillin allergy should be referred to a specialist.

Why is there a penicillin allergy awareness campaign?

Penicillin allergy is the most commonly reported medication allergy globally, although studies indicate that only 10% of people considered to be allergic to penicillin, are truly allergic1

This means many patients are avoiding penicillin without confirmed penicillin allergy.

Patients that are recorded as penicillin allergic in their medical records may require second-line antibiotic treatment which can be less effective. This can result in:

  • longer hospital stays

  • higher rates of readmission

  • higher rates of emergency department presentation and hospital readmission,

  • prescription of broader spectrum antibiotics with increased likelihood of developing resistant strains of bacterial infections (including Clostridioides difficile and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).2-6

While avoidance of penicillin is critical for patients with a true penicillin allergy, the many individuals that are erroneously labelled as being allergic to penicillin, may at some point in their lifetime be treated with second-line antibiotics, resulting in poorer health outcomes, including an infection with anti-microbial resistant bacteria, and increased burden on the healthcare system.

This has a negative impact on antimicrobial stewardship, which is a public health priority promoting the appropriate use of antimicrobials.

You can learn more about antimicrobial stewardship further down this page.

The National Allergy Council, in partnership with Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA) and the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) have launched a national public health campaign to promote safe and appropriate assessment of penicillin allergy among individuals that have a penicillin allergy label on their medical record. The program is targeted towards people who have been told they are allergic to penicillin, GPs and other health professionals (pharmacists, nurse practitioners and other specialists e.g. paediatricians).

Antimicrobial stewardship

Antimicrobial stewardship is a global program that promotes optimal antibiotic prescribing and use. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care supports this program by working to improve the safe and appropriate use of antimicrobials and prevent antimicrobial resistance.

Antimicrobial stewardship ensures antibiotics are used safely and effectively through choosing the right drug, dose and duration to treat infections.

The National Allergy Council’s Antibiotic Allergy Awareness campaign allows safe use of penicillin and other first-line antibiotics, reducing reliance on broad-spectrum alternatives. This reduces antibiotic resistance, side effects, treatment failures and healthcare costs.

Penicillin allergy assessments directly support antimicrobial stewardship as they ensure patients receive the most appropriate treatment while safeguarding antimicrobial medicines so they can continue to work effectively.

Low risk testing options are available to guide health professionals in the community to undertake a safe assessment

Guidelines, training and other resources are available to support you. You can also access specialist advice about drug (medication) allergy and support through allergy assist®, a free online education and advice platform for GPs and Rural Generalists in Australia. Click on the links below to equip yourself and start having the conversation with your patients about their penicillin allergy.

Doctor and patient discussing medical results at a desk, with documents and a laptop visible.More

Where to start: Implementing a penicillin allergy assessment program

A person with curly hair working on a computer at a desk, focusing on the screen.More

What goes into my patient's record?

Woman with curly hair smiling at a healthcare professional in a medical office. A clock is on the wall and a computer is on the desk.More

Case Scenarios

Person wearing glasses, writing in a notebook while looking at a laptop screen, with a blurred background of windows and a brick wall.More

Further Resources and publications

1 Luintel A, Healy J, Blank M, et al. The global prevalence of reported penicillin allergy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Infection. 2025;90(2):106429

2 Arnold A, Coventry LL, Foster MJ, Koplin JJ, Lucas M. The burden of self-reported antibiotic allergies in health care and how to address it: a systematic review of the evidence. The Jour

3 Solensky R. Penicillin allergy as a public health measure. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;133(3):797-798.

4 MacFadden DR, LaDelfa A, Leen J, et al. Impact of Reported Beta-Lactam Allergy on Inpatient Outcomes: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study. Clin Infect Dis. 2016;63(7):904-910.

5 Lee CE, Zembower TR, Fotis MA, et al. The incidence of antimicrobial allergies in hospitalized patients: implications regarding prescribing patterns and emerging bacterial resistance. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160(18):2819-2822.Ali S

6 Hughes T, Smith A. Penicillin or cephalosporin antibiotic allergy label: Influence on length of stay and hospital readmission. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global. 2024;3(3):100272.

;